


The Corset Vest

by TNKT



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Awkward Romance, Bottom Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 Friendship, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) is a Tease, Connor is not indifferent, Connor is oblivious but not really, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, First Love, First Time, Fluff, Gay, Gay Disaster Connor, M/M, Markus has a big gay crush on Connor, Markus is a horny little android he is, Markus is a romantic sap, Mutual Pining, Nines is a brat, Nines struts his stuff, Non-Graphic Smut, Nosebleed, POV Alternating, Post-Canon, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Some Humor, Theater play subplot because why not, Top Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Unrequited Crush, and completely inexperienced, and just, because even androids aren't immune to horniness-induced nosebleeds, but only at first, gay disaster markus, i can't stop them, i thought this was going to be safe but things get heated, it's first everything at this point, no graphic depictions of genitalia cause i'm bad at smut, these boys want the sexy times, they're so young and in love, very cute, very wholesome, whether or not it's on purpose is up for interpretation, you get to see Connor and Nines be the worst actors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-01-29 14:42:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21411862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TNKT/pseuds/TNKT
Summary: Markus comes across a certain someone wearing a corset vest and is so overwhelmed by the splendid sight that he busts a thirium line as a result. The thing is, the androids facing him when this happens are both investigative models. The other thing is, he's been hiding a crush on Connor.Fanart of our handsome boys byNullThanks to Lokiitama for not only inspiring me with pictures of men in corset vests, but also for the nosebleed explanation!
Relationships: Connor/Markus (Detroit: Become Human)
Comments: 83
Kudos: 254





	1. The both of you

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads-up, this isn't the anxiety-ridden Connor I usually write in most of my DBH fics. Prepare to have fun and feels, but only the good kind!  
Also, in case you haven't read the title or the summary before clicking on this fic (as someone in the comments claims to have neglected to do), just letting you know Connor wears a corset vest in this story. By the way, a **corset** is not the same as a **corset vest**; see end notes.

As an android with incompatible parts, Markus had to check on his systems a lot more often than average. He'd quickly gotten used to it, so the frequency at which he was required to self-diagnose wasn't the problem; it was just that he wished he wouldn't need to be wary of his own components giving up on him.

It was a standard routine by now. It mostly consisted in checking whether or not thirium flowed correctly through its lines and transmitted to all his components the way it was supposed to, including the incompatible ones, and to make sure the corrupted synthetic skin lines weren't too obvious. Markus was aware his scars were visible to any android that crossed his path no matter how well he managed to fade them, but it was enough for humans to remain oblivious to them.

Markus stepped out of his room, only half-mindedly focusing on making sure the thirium flowed seamlessly towards his eye, when movement attracted his gaze several feet away. It took him a while to realize that the two androids he was staring at weren't unknown to him, but were simply wearing different clothes from usual. Nines was the first to notice him standing there, but in that moment Markus only had eyes for the android whose back he was facing.

Connor's torso was encased in a pale corset vest, the hard fabric cinched around his midriff like a sheath around its blade. It made the android's waist straight and slim in a way Markus had never imagined could be so alluring, and rA9 knew Markus had done his fair share of imagining when it came to Connor. He'd always known the RK800 had a light build, but this... This was something else. Elegant leather threads criss-crossed down his spine and traced the soft slope of his lower back, and Markus suddenly wished for nothing more but to touch.

Then Connor turned around, and Markus was gifted with a view that could only have been bestowed upon him by rA9 himself. Two large strips of pale gray fabric were nestled between Connor's collarbones and shoulders, elegantly broadening the latter, and ran down the front of his chest to stop just above his narrow hips. A beige undercoat snuggly fitted him at the waist and the collar formed a soft V that covered the RK800's nascent white shirt.

Connor's eyes widened in surprise when he saw him there and then smiled at him sheepishly, his cowlick brushing his forehead as he nervously adjusted his vest. "Oh, Markus. I know this outfit is a bit unusual for us, maybe we should explain."

A strong urge to wrap his arms around Connor's slender shape suddenly splashed over Markus' insides, and his chest came alive with the frantic beat of a need to run his hands over the silky clothes that covered the discreet curves of Connor's body. The various objectives started covering his HUD before he could do anything to stop them and something inside of him quivered and snapped, a sensation he recognized to be yet another glitch. The thirium flow he'd been guiding into his optical lines deviated without his control towards the nearest cavity.

"Markus?"

He hastily tried to clear away most of the messages and found himself staring straight into concerned brown eyes.

"Are you okay? Did you damage yourself?"

Markus hastily brought his fingers to his nose, realized he was indeed leaking thirium there, and wiped it away as well as he could. "Ah, it's nothing."

"Is it a glitch?" inquired Nines next to his predecessor, his blue eyes cautiously studying him. "Have they been getting worse?"

"No, no! You're both worrying to much," answered Markus with a wave of his hand. "I just didn't expect- I just... Look, I was in the middle of a routine check-up and I made a mistake with thirium flow, that's all. I got... distracted."

Connor stepped back to give him some space, and Markus found himself wishing he hadn't. "All right, but I don't think I've ever seen you leak thirium through your nose before. You might want to get that checked out."

Markus was quite sure the event didn't actually warrant a visit to the infirmary, especially not given that it involved explaining what had happened. 

_I saw Connor wearing a corset vest and he looked so good in it that it made me glitch out._

No, that definitely didn't sound very leader-like. What if Connor heard about it? That would be _mortifying_. Better to keep it to himself, Markus decided with a mental nod of self-approval.

Markus looked over at Nines and decided it was high time he asked: "Why are the both of you dressed like this?"

"Ah," said Nines, but he didn't expand on the subject and looked at Connor instead, who shifted on his feet uneasily.

"Well... Do you know about that play the children are organizing for New Jericho?"

"...Yes...?"

There was blue tinge slowly coloring Connor's cheekbones and he glanced at Nines to seek out some support, but the RK900 remained stoically silent. Connor visibly forced himself to look back at Markus and, with both embarrassed looks and voice, uttered: "They roped us in and want me and Nines to be princes."

"Princes," repeated Markus. The quivering sensation at the back of his mind returned. 

"Yes... These were the closest outfits we found to the ones the children described to us," continued his friend.

If there had been one of the YK500s right here, right now, Markus probably would've gotten on his knees to thank them for their wonderful idea. The children clearly had better taste than they were given credit for.

Connor pulled on his sleeves uneasily. "I know it's stupid, this doesn't suit us at all-"

"Speak for yourself," said Nines. "I think we look dashing."

"Me too," said Markus without thinking, and then immediately wanted to kick himself for it.

Connor stared at him for a second longer than what would be considered comfortable before he disbelievingly asked : "You do?"

Markus decided to own up. "Yes, you look good like that. Uh- The both of you."

"The both of us," agreed Nines, but the smirk on his lips told Markus he'd guessed more than Markus was comfortable with him knowing.

"The _both_ of you," he repeated, maybe a little more forcefully than he'd wanted to. Maybe a bit too insistently to be as inconspicuous as he would've liked.

"Well, I'm glad you think that," Connor lightly said, traces of thirium lingering beneath the synthetic skin of his cheeks. "I'm sorry for cutting this short but we have to go, they want us there to practice."

"We'll see you later, _Markus_," said Nines before turning around with that infuriating little grin still dancing on his lips.

Markus watched Connor and Nines leave together. Nines said something just as they were about to turn the corner, Connor reprimanded him with a light jab in the chest, and Markus caught the RK900's blue gaze just before it disappeared around the wall. Then he was left alone with thirium evaporating from his upper lip and the very unpleasant sensation of having been caught red-handed.

Nines was so onto him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Markus, but you're not that slick.
> 
> Here are Connor and Nines' outfits:  
  



	2. Stop being stupid

"I think Markus likes you," Nines said in an exaggerated whisper as they walked away from the android in question.

Connor promptly elbowed him in the side. "Stop."

Nines looked behind them and Connor had to resist the urge to pull his big dumb upgrade's head back around, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to do it unless Nines played along. It would come off as a ridiculously useless gesture if he tried and Nines resisted, and Connor wanted least of all to look like an idiot in front of the RK200 he admired and respected so profoundly.

The thirium leak coming from Markus' nose had stopped almost immediately and he hadn't seemed worried about it at all, and Connor trusted the RK200 to know what was and what wasn't dangerous for him, but it was strange that it had happened in the first place. Androids didn't get spontaneous nosebleeds that way. He'd said it was because he'd gotten distracted, but it had occurred when he'd seen Connor and Nines. The way Markus had stumbled over his words to explain it and his taut body language had indicated agitation, as if he'd been trying to cover up something embarrassing; Connor hadn't known what until Markus had let out that "Me too" and immediately looked like he'd regretted it. His gaze had been mostly focused on Connor during the conversation, but as soon as those words had escaped his mouth, Markus had made a point to alternate between both him and Nines in textbook "trying to cover up one's tracks" behaviour. The conclusion Connor reached was a logical one: Markus hadn't wanted to admit that he found Connor attractive in his corset vest, and that was why he'd been so flustered after agreeing with Nines it out loud.

Connor couldn't deny he'd felt very pleased to hear Markus compliment their appearances, because he'd figured out he was the one having the most effect on the RK200. He'd almost laughed when Nines had started teasing him, and even more when Markus hadn't seemed to realize that Connor was in on the joke. Connor had decided to stay quiet, though. Pretending not to know had been an easy way out so he could figure out what to do with this turn of events.

Connor had always liked Markus. Admiration and respect were prevalent in his feelings for the deviant leader, but he'd soon realized that wasn't all it was. Nines had helped him understand that- or rather, had relentlessly pointed out that Connor's thoughts and opinions about the RK200 weren't entirely platonic until Connor simply couldn't keep denying it any longer. It had taken some time for Connor to come to terms with the fact that he could like someone in such a way. It was different from his like for Hank, and from his like for Nines. Looking at both of his close friends made Connor's head feel warm and safe; looking at Markus filled his body with energy that made his pump tingle.

Up until today, Markus hadn't ever shown him clear signs of attraction; he'd been very present, and often smiled at Connor, and easily touched his shoulder or his back in little gestures of appreciation, but those were things Markus did for all of his closest friends. Connor had once dared to hope that Markus did it more when it was with him, and Nines had even agreed that it was the case; but then Connor had understood it was more out of Markus' need to reassure and make at ease the android who bitterly regretted that he'd once tried to kill him and many others. Markus felt sorry for Connor, because he knew it was hard for him to feel like he belonged here sometimes. Touching and patting was Markus' way of comforting others, and it just so happened that Connor was the one who Markus thought needed it the most. Connor had never managed to convince him of otherwise. Maybe he hadn't tried enough, maybe it was selfish of him to have stopped trying; but Connor liked those touches and he didn't want them gone. It made him feel good, more alive, and every little brush lit up his mind. Connor had settled for this and only this a few weeks after realizing the way he felt, when he'd understood he would never get more from his friend. 

And now, Connor could feel that old decision slightly crumbling at its corners. 

Markus had lost his composure in front of him. Markus had tried to act like nothing was wrong when Nines was so obviously teasing him and he was so obviously blushing. Markus had been... _attracted_ to Connor, even if he'd tried to hide it. To think that Markus was finally interested in him in that way made Connor want to laugh for joy. On second thought, Nines' taunting little smirk was probably flustering Markus even further, so Connor decided it was a good thing to let the RK900 look back at the leader before they turned the corner. It was a charming thought that Markus was blushing because of him.

"I'm serious," insisted Nines as they walked along the wall. "You had your back turned when he showed up, you didn't see the way he stopped right in his tracks. I can promise you hitting Markus over the head with a fridge likely would've had less effect on him than seeing you wearing that outfit."

"Stop being stupid," Connor said, pushing his hand in Nines' face to shut him up.

Nines avoided it without missing a beat. "The way he looked at you? Did you even see what I saw? Connor, he burst a thirium line in awe."

"No, he didn't. It was a glitch."

"All right, he burst a thirium line because he glitched, because he got distracted, because he saw _you_, because he thinks _you_ look stunning. How else would you explain the way he was staring?"

Connor shook his head, but he couldn't stop his lips from curling up in a happy smile. Nines had seen it too, it wasn't just Connor's imagination. Markus was attracted. _Markus_ was attracted to _him_.

"Don't think I can't tell what you're trying to do," Nines warned him. 

Connor looked up at him innocently. "What am I trying to do?"

"Pretending you don't get that Markus likes you. You're going to have to do something about this."

"I don't really know what to do from here," admitted Connor. He knew very well there was no point in hiding anything from Nines, it hadn't been his intention to do so. He just needed time to adjust to the strong feelings that had washed over him when he'd realized Markus wasn't indifferent to him. It was a bit like standing at the edge of the Stratford Tower: fear of falling, exhilaration from being so high up. "I never thought there was a possibility he'd like me back." He hesitated. "I don't know if he _likes_ me back."

"He seemed rather smitten to me," Nines stated.

"He was just attracted. It could have been that he simply liked the way I look in this vest."

"Mine is clearly better-looking. I think if it really was just the corset vest, it's not you he would've been gawking at like an idiot."

Connor ignored Nines' dig at his outfit and said: "But he's never acted like this before. Why today?"

Nines suddenly stopped and grabbed Connor by the shoulders. "Wait."

Connor froze and his eyes darted around, immediately seeking out any potential threat that Nines might have spotted before him, but then he realized that the RK900 was still entirely focused on him.

"Please don't tell me you're doing that again," said Nines.

Connor frowned at him in confusion. "What?"

"When you start convincing yourself that real things are just your imagination because you can't be bothered to make the effort of asking for more, like you did when you convinced yourself that Markus was just closer to you than the others out of pity."

Connor brought a hand up to Nines' and pulled it away. Tried to. Failed.

He sighed. "Look, that's not what I'm doing, okay? Clearly he's attracted to me, or at the very least he is today. What do you want me to do? I have no idea how to handle this kind of situation. I don't know if it's going to last, I don't know if this means I can tell him how I feel, I don't know what-"

"Of course you can," Nines cut him off. "I think you're feeling lost because you never considered this would happen one day, and consequently you never tried to play out the scenario in which it did. I'm quite sure that's what you're going to do all day now that I've mentioned this, but in the end the only way to make progress is if you two talk about it."

"I have no idea what I'm going to tell him," Connor stated. He could feel the inevitability of a soon-to-be conversation between him and Markus closing in at the back of his mind, but he couldn't help stalling, and Nines clearly caught on judging from the mischievious light in his blue eyes.

"I'm sure you can construct at least fifty different useless conversation starters and maybe even two not-so-disastrous outcomes while we practice the play," Nines said with a teasing and very irritating smile.

"Thank you for the encouragement," Connor deadpanned.

Nines let go of his shoulders, and gave him a light push forward so they'd start walking towards the place the YK500s were waiting for them to make their appearance. "Always at your service."

When they finally entered the amphitheater next to Hart Plaza, it only took a second for them to get noticed by the crowd gathered on the stage. The children's eyes lit up with wonder and cries of excitement echoed in the wide room.

"Ohhh! Wow!"  
"Look at them!"  
"Princes!"

A few YK500s jumped down and ran up to them. One of the little girls exclaimed with a wide smile: "You look so handsome!"

"I know," answered Nines, and he struck a pose.

The children cheered at his antics and Connor decided to quickly walk right on by before he was expected to do the same, but he had no such luck. He felt his sleeve get caught in a small hand and was forced to stop in his tracks when two children got in his way. Their eyes were wide with amazement, cheeks glowing blue from happy anticipation. They pointed to Nines, who was now pointing one of the prop swords to the skies.

"You too, Mister Connor!"

Connor covered his face in embarrassement, and then reluctantly grabbed the fake horse he was handed by one of the boys. It was a plush head at the end of a long wooden rod- or rather, it would've looked long if it was a child who had been using it. Connor had once wondered how he'd ever been pulled into being part of the play with Nines, but in actuality Nines was the one who'd pulled him in after he'd eagerly accepted to both participate in the play without asking Connor his opinion on the matter. Now Connor wondered if any of the other leaders would ever let him live it down. He looked ridiculous riding a fake horse and holding a plastic sword that looked nothing remotely close to metal, but he supposed his dignity was a small price to pay for the YK500's joy. He could already feel the thirium pooling in his face at the thought of any of his friends seeing him like this, and the thought of Markus watching him run around on what was essentially a glorified broomstick was absolutely mortifying. Not to mention it was too short for Connor. When Nines looked over and saw him ready for the practice, he lowered his sword and smirked at him.

<_RK900: Now that's a sight Markus surely won't be able to resist._>

Connor shot him a look. 

<_RK800: Shut up, Nines._>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “_All this pining nonsense has gone on long enough,_” declares local RK900.  
“_But pining is what I do best!_” cries out his brother, repressed gay Connor RK800.  
“_Just shut up and watch me strike poses, you heathen,_” orders Nines bratty900 as he proceeds to be extra.
> 
> Side note: I believe that what the YK500s are doing in regards to the RK bros is what we commonly refer to as "stanning"


	3. If it's just the corset

Markus was extremely surprised to see Connor in his quarters upon returning there that evening. The RK800 was sitting on his chair with a little more restraint than usual, still wearing that same corset vest, and Markus felt another surge of thirium in the wrong spot- rA9 have mercy on Markus' poor incompatible biocomponents. 

Markus finally unfroze from his surprised position in the doorway and stepped inside, hesitantly closing the door behind him. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Connor smiled at him, and Markus thought he looked a bit nervous. "I can leave if you're busy."

"No! No, it's all right," Markus hastily reassured him. "I only have a few reports to go over tonight."

"That's good," said Connor approvingly.

An awkward silence followed, until Markus said: "So. Was there... something you wanted?"

"Yes." Connor shifted in his seat uneasily, and opened his mouth to continue, but then closed it again. His gaze drifted to the bed at his side and after a moment of hesitation, he quietly said: "...I thought this would be easier."

"Is there something wrong?" inquired Markus, suddenly a bit worried by his friend's behaviour. "Did something happen to you?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Connor reassured him in turn. "It's... It's not something bad."

"Okay." Markus went to pull the second chair in his quarters next to Connor's and sat down so they were at eye level. "What is it, then?"

Connor fidgeted with his sleeves, and then looked up. "I'm not sure how to go about this exactly, so I'll just say it outright. You were attracted to me earlier, correct?"

Markus instantly felt thirium rise to his face and stuttered: "Uh- What? What are you talking about?"

Connor smiled. "Come on, Markus. It wasn't only obvious to Nines."

"I-I just thought you looked good in that vest, that's all," defensively said Markus.

Connor's smiled grew amusedly chiding. "Are you really going to try and deny your earlier reaction? In case you've forgotten, I _am_ an investigative model. I can tell the gist of what you're thinking through your microexpressions." Connor pointed a finger at Markus' face and teasingly added: "Notably through the color of your skin."

Markus automatically covered his face and quickly shook his head. "I-um, look, Connor, we can just ignore what happened earlier."

Connor outright grinned. "We're both grown-ups here, Markus, we can talk about that attraction of yours. Did you really like this new outfit that much?"

Markus let his hands drop to his lap and tried to soldier past his embarrassement. "Connor... Look, you don't have to make fun of me for it. I liked the way you looked in that vest, yes, and I get it if you find it weird."

Connor's eyes widened. 

"I don't find it weird!" he exclaimed, and now he was the flustered one. "I- Well." He pressed his lips together in a brief moment of reflexion, and then hesitantly said: "You see, I actually like the idea of what happened earlier."

Markus stared at him, unsure if he was mixing up the signals he was getting or not. Connor was someone he'd had to learn to read over the months, because the RK800 hadn't been good at showing his emotions in the early stages of their friendship. Now he was much better at doing it spontaneously, but even so, Markus needed to make sure. This was too important to mess up by simply assuming what Connor felt. Markus cautiously asked for clarification.

"...What do you mean by that?"

Connor looked away, cheekbones slightly darkening, and quietly said: "I think you look good too. That's what I mean."

Markus stared at him dumbly, his head a roaring chasm of _nothing_. He distantly wondered if his systems were crashing.

Connor shifted again and resumed speaking in the silence that followed, his eyes trained on the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe I was wrong, I- Sorry, this was stupid."

He went to get up when Markus finally realized what was happening, his hand shooting out to stop the other in his tracks. "Wait, wait. Are you saying _you're_ attracted to _me?_"

Connor still wouldn't look at him. "I'll understand if this isn't reciprocal. Because you acted attracted to me earlier, I assumed... But if it was just the corset-"

"No! What? _No!_" cried out Markus, aghast that Connor would think he was just attracted to a _corset_. "Connor, I liked the way you looked in that corset because it was _you_ wearing it!"

Connor's eyes flickered up to his in surprise.

Markus gently pulled at his wrist to guide him back to his seat and said: "Why do you look so shocked? Is it really that unfathomable that I like you back?"

Connor complied and sat back down, his body language still a bit taut. "You were silent, so I thought..."

Markus stared at him incredulously. "Connor, you had the whole afternoon to think about what happened earlier! You can't just come in here to tell me you noticed I was attracted to you, hit me over the head with the fact that you feel the same about me, and then leave me less than a few seconds to process that!"

"You're right," said Connor tensely. "That was stupid of me."

"Stop saying that what you're doing is stupid, okay? We're both bad at this," Markus told him. "I just- I really didn't expect you to tell me that. I'm uh, still reeling from that revelation. You have to leave me some time to think."

"Right," nodded Connor. "I understand."

"Do you?"

Connor averted his gaze. Markus patiently waited for him to say what was visibly on his mind, and after a few moments Connor said : "So it's not just the corset."

"Of course not. Connor, you look... very good in that, but don't you think that if it was just the corset, I would've shown attraction towards Nines as well?"

"You did say we both looked good. Twice."

Markus wanted to slap himself. "That was because- Connor, that wasn't- I just-"

"You didn't want to be too obvious?" said Connor with a little smile, and Markus recognized that smile. It was similar to Nines' smirk from earlier.

"Are you _teasing_ me?" he asked, incredulous.

Connor laughed, a short and light sound. "In my defense, you make it incredibly easy."

"Very funny," Markus deadpanned.

"Very," agreed Connor. "At any rate, since it really isn't just the corset, you won't mind if I'm not wearing it?"

"Not at all," Markus said right away, more than ready to prove he didn't need the piece of clothing to like Connor. "I told you, I just think it suits... you... very..."

He trailed off when Connor started removing the vest in front of him. Knowing Connor, it probably wasn't deliberate, but the neat and steadfast way in which he undid the brackets on the inside of the overcoat was surprisingly alluring and thoughts started piling up in Markus' head about helping him through it. More importantly-

"What are you doing?"

Connor looked up at him innocently. "Taking it off."

Markus hesitated. Connor _had_ to be aware of the implications of taking off clothes in front of someone you'd just confessed your crush to, especially if it turned out reciprocal, but this was Connor. Markus really wasn't sure whether he was doing this with _that_ kind of intention, and he really didn't want to mess this up if it turned out it wasn't the case. In the time it took him to decide that he wouldn't act on the situation just yet, the RK800 had pulled away the gray top and all that remained was his beige undercoat. Despite being the only piece different from his usual outfit, its color and fabric made Connor's appearance look remarkably... soft. 

Connor neatly folded it off to the side, and as he undid the buttons of the undercoat as well he stated: "As much as I liked seeing you blush, this is a lot more comfortable for me."

Markus understood he'd been right not to interpret Connor's actions the way his mind had first gone. "Is it that tight?"

Connor shot him a look. "It _is_ called a corset vest."

"Right," Markus stupidly answered. Of course wearing that kind of thing would've made Connor uneasy, he was used to wearing his suit jacket all the time and rarely wore anything else- and the rare times he had, he'd always chosen more loosely-fitting clothes.

The seconds that followed were silent, and when they realized that neither of them were going to speak again, they simultaneously averted their eyes to look on opposite sides of the room. The next moment was painfully awkward for Markus and he had no doubt it was the same for Connor. He tried to rack his processor for something, anything that could be used as new conversation starter, and wondered again if something had crashed inside of him when he only found an empty space where his thoughts usually circled. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk? He was a leader, for rA9's sake, he'd made so many improvized speeches before that had been enough to satisfy his people and human journalists alike, total strangers he didn't even know for the most part, and yet here he was unable to find a single word to tell the person he liked. This was the worst.

"...Markus?"

His head snapped back to the android at his side and he noticed that Connor's cheeks had started darkening again. For someone who made fun of him for blushing so obviously, Connor sure did it a lot. He wasn't looking at him, his gaze was trained on the ground somewhere to his left and he was plucking at his sleeve.

"Yes?"

Connor pressed his lips together again as if he was gathering either his courage or his thoughts, and then finally looked up at Markus. "...I... I'd like to try something. With you."

Now _that_ definitely got Markus' interest. "What would you like to try?"

Connor opened his mouth hesitantly, looking very embarrassed all of a sudden. "I. Well. I've done research about how humans showed their affection for each other, and I happen to feel affection for you."

Markus leaned in closer, completely hooked. "What are you trying to say?"

The RK800 dropped his gaze to the ground, his cheeks now diffusing a soft blue glow. "I'd like to try... Um... Showing it in a physical way. The way humans do."

Markus was very admirative of how honest Connor was being. He never would've dared to ask for that kind of thing himself, especially so quickly, even if he had to admit this wasn't the first time he'd thought of it. Right now he itched to reach out and push Connor down, to trail his fingers across the flat planes of Connor's chest, to push his hand underneath his clothes and unveil his pale skin. But Markus had done his research as well, and there were several prominent issues in relationships that humans often seemed to mess up. He didn't want to reproduce those errors. 

He reached out and took the RK800's hand in his, feeling the pulse of thirium in his own face. It was very embarrassing laying himself bare like this but Connor had been honest, so it was only fair for him to be as well. "Connor, just so we're clear on this: my feelings for you are pretty intense. To tell you the truth, I've been wanting to get closer to you for a while- both physically and emotionally, but the physical aspect has always had a strong presence in my mind."

Connor nodded and turned his hand around so that his fingers could curl around Markus', and he kept his eyes downcast when he answered: "Me too."

"Okay," said Markus, but it sounded a lot less self-assured than he would've wanted. "... Do you want to try it now?"

Connor nodded again, his voice small. "I'd like that, please."

The rush of thirium Markus felt beneath his skin this time was not at all linked to embarrassement, but a very strong fondness and pronounced anticipation. "Tell me what you want."

Connor smiled ruefully. "You're going to make me say it?"

"Well yes, of course." Markus smiled back and lifted his hand to gently clear Connor's forehead of his cowlick as best as he could, and Connor briefly shut his eyes. Markus could've sworn he'd angled his face towards his hand, but then Connor opened his eyes again and shyly ducked his head away.

"I...." His mouth moved but no sounds came out. Markus encouragingly squeezed his hand, and Connor's resolve visibly hardened. He looked back up and said: "I want you to kiss me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOO BUCKLE UP BUCKEROOS  
IT'S TIME  
LET'S GO GAYS
> 
> Connor is awkward blunt, while Markus is... just awkward. I love these boys.


	4. Kiss me again

Connor's cheeks were tinged in a dark shade of blue which Markus decided right then and there was the most beautiful color he'd ever seen, and he ducked his head in embarrassement, looking like he didn't quite believe he'd outright asked for a kiss. Markus smiled and curled his fingers around Connor's chin, revelling in the small tremor that shook the RK800's shoulders in response to the touch. 

"Okay, a kiss it is." He leaned in closer, but stopped an inch away from Connor's face when doubt tugged at his mind. Still hesitant, still afraid that he was making a mistake somehow by going too fast, Markus gazed attentively at Connor and asked in a low voice: "Are you ready?"

Connor gave a short, stilted nod, as if he was afraid that Markus would pull back if he moved too much. There was a mix of anticipation and apprehension in his brown eyes but it was obvious that he didn't intend on closing them. Did Connor know it was better to close your eyes during a kiss?

...Probably not.

Markus' lips curled in an amused grin at the thought and he leaned in the rest of the way, feeling pleasure ripple through him when they brushed against Connor's. The sweet touch only lasted for a few seconds, however, because then Markus felt a hand against his shoulder and Connor was pushing him away. Markus felt his pump drop miles down when he saw the utterly lost look on the RK800's face. Connor blinked, and the stricken look turned into something more confused than bewildered.

"Um." Connor brought a hand to his mouth, and his gaze flickered down to the ground then back up to Markus. "That's..."

"Are you okay?" concernedly asked Markus. Connor's eyes were wide and he looked a bit like a deer caught in headlights.

Connor nodded quickly and averted his eyes. "I just... Lots of information to process." His LED was circling and circling bright yellow the way it only did when Connor was overwhelmed by too much feedback or emotionally perturbed.

"Do you want to stop? We can stop." The words were out of Markus' mouth before he'd thought them through, so eager in his need to reassure Connor that he only belatedly realized what he was suggesting. It was selfish, but Markus found himself strongly hoping that Connor wouldn't say yes. 

Relief swept through him when Connor shook his head and said: "No, no... I'm okay." 

Despite his reassurance and the slowing LED, Connor still looked a bit shaken and Markus decided to remain on the lookout for any signs of discomfort. "Do you need anything?"

Connor's gaze snapped up to him, bright and alert and seeking, and the hand on Markus' shoulder shifted slightly around to the back to pull him closer.

"Kiss me again," demanded Connor.

Markus didn't have to be asked twice. Connor stayed very still as Markus gently pressed his lips to his a second time, and he wondered if he was going to do anything. Markus hesitated, expecting Connor to pull back again, but Connor didn't move so Markus slowly started increasing the pressure of the kiss. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers up the RK800's nape, hoping that the little responsive shudder he felt beneath them was one of pleasure. Connor still wasn't reciprocating the kiss and Markus decided to draw back to check if he was alright, when a hand came up behind his neck in a mirrored gesture and Connor started kissing back with unexpected vigor. Markus let out a surprised but ultimately pleased sound and his hands both slid to Connor's waist, the curve of which felt wider than he'd expected, solid, steadfast, and perfect in Markus' hand. Unfortunately, the beige undercoat was in the way of touching Connor's skin. Markus was the one to break the kiss this time, his attention shifting from Connor's mouth to the buttons lining the center of the garment, and when he looked back up into the RK800's bright eyes he asked: "Is it okay if I-"

Two hands came up to cup his face and the words died in his throat when Connor hungrily kissed him a third time, nearly pushing him down on the bed in the process. Markus quickly steadied himself, reeling from shock and arousal at Connor's eagerness and the way the RK800's knees pressed the inside of his thighs. The same quivering sensation he'd felt at the back of his mind when he'd seen Connor in the corset vest returned full force and his hand rose to the back of Connor's head, his fingers lightly scratching through the soft hair. Connor let out a soft sound lost somewhere between approval and neediness, one that Markus had never even thought Connor would be able to make, and the wanting quality of it pushed him to go further. Carefully, softly, Markus let his teeth scrape over Connor's lower lip and then tentatively licked the soft synthetic flesh. Connor shuddered, his hands grabbed the front Markus' clothes, but he didn't back out. Markus decided to keep going and lightly pressed his thumb at the corner of Connor's mouth, who let his lips part almost immediately in response. Markus hummed in approval and deepened the kiss, his tongue lightly brushing the inside of Connor's mouth, and that was when Connor let out a moan.

It surprised both of them and Connor jerked back, staring at Markus in surprise, cheeks flushed. Markus thought his own face was probably just as blue in that moment. They were quiet for a bit, and then Markus said: "Are you all right?"

"How did you do that?" asked Connor in bewilderment.

Markus couldn't help grinning at him. "Guess I'm just that good a kisser."

Something like challenge appeared in Connor's brown eyes. "I'm a quick learner."

"Oh, really?" said Markus, his voice lowered in anticipation.

Connor smiled. "Really."

Part of Markus had expected Connor to push up against him again so he wasn't caught off guard by the way Connor lunged at him this time around, but when Connor's tongue pried his own lips open in a surprisingly agile manner, Markus felt his restraint snap. He grabbed Connor's wrist and pulled him to the side so that they both tumbled onto the bed, Connor lying on his back with his arm pinned above his head and Markus bending over him. He was completely thrown for a loop when he felt a long leg hook around his own, Connor twist around beneath him, and his whole world tip over. Suddenly he was the one lying down, and as if being straddled by the RK800 wasn't enough, Connor was wearing a proud little smirk that made every single wire in Markus' whole body crackle at the sight of it.

"Don't think you can start pinning me down whenever you feel like it," Connor told him smugly. "I'm stronger than you."

"I... can see that," managed Markus.

Connor's gaze flickered appraisingly over Markus' face and then he planted his arms on each side of his head, leaning in close in a slow and almost predatory manner until they were only inches apart. Markus felt himself blush furiously upon picturing the position they were in. Connor had lifted his hips away from his, knees and hands positioned on each side of Markus's body to trap him beneath his own, but he wasn't touching him at all and now Markus felt like he wanted that more than anything else. Connor's cheeks were flushed as well, but he looked a lot calmer than Markus felt.

"You know, Markus... I didn't think I could be more attracted to you than I already was, but you're proving me wrong," he murmured.

"Uh- Ah, I am?" stupidly said Markus. He couldn't get his thoughts straight when Connor was leaning over him like this, he hadn't known he would like it this much. Every time Markus had imagined doing anything remotely intimate with Connor, he'd been the one to lead, just like he'd always lead everyone else. It had never crossed his mind that Connor would want to take control, and Markus never would've guessed that he'd want that himself.

Connor hummed. "I think I like seeing you like this. You look... vulnerable."

Markus felt a rush. Maybe it should've been one of uneasiness, considering the light in Connor's eyes looked everything like a hunter's, but instead it was undeniably one of arousal. He completely forgot how to talk for a good three seconds, and then mentally castigated himself for it and tried to regain a little bit of self-control. He was the deviant leader, for rA9's sake, it wasn't like him to get flustered so easily. He grabbed the back of Connor's neck and pulled him down for a kiss without warning, noticing with some satisfaction the way he faltered to keep his balance. When they pulled apart, Markus grinned at him.

"You're looking pretty good yourself right now, Connor."

Connor's eyes went disarmingly wide at the compliment and Markus was surprised to see him sheepishly duck his head like earlier. "... Thank you."

_Cute,_ Markus thought with a smile. He reached out to gently pull Connor's face back to his and said: "One compliment and you turn from a hound to a puppy. Are you so unused to it?"

Connor tried to turn his head away again, but Markus was holding him there so instead his gaze slipped to the side to avoid direct eye contact. "...You know."

"Yeah," softly said Markus as he started petting Connor's hair. "I know."

Connor's eyes closed beneath his ministrations, but it must've been out of his own volition because they snapped back open a second later like he hadn't meant to do it. Markus laughed and Connor shot him an offended look, so Markus quickly said: "Hey, it's not my fault you're so cute."

Connor's blush deepened and he frowned. "I'm not cute."

"You are."

Connor annoyedly shook Markus' hand out of his hair and said: "No, I'm not."

"Okay, okay," relented Markus, and then he slyly said: "You could've just said it if you wanted me to touch something other than your hair."

Connor stilled.

"Oh?" said Markus. "Is that interest I see?"

"... Yes," eventually admitted Connor.

Markus smiled. "All right, sit up."

Connor complied and leaned back on his haunches, curiously watching Markus straighten to face him. His body language was expectant, so Markus figured he'd snapped Connor out of his dominant mindset when he'd caught him off guard with his earlier compliment. Markus studied the RK800 in front of him and wondered what it would take to bring that side out of him again, because it didn't look like Connor was going to do it himself. He decided to test out the waters.

"What do you want to do right now?"

Connor shifted on the bed and timidly asked: "Can you kiss me again?"

Yeah, okay, the hound was gone. Not that Markus minded this shy, nervous Connor either. Was Connor even aware of it when his behaviour switched like that? Was he even aware of how hot that had been? Markus decided that probably not. He scooted closer and cradled Connor's jaw in his hand to kiss him, and this time Connor let Markus do everything. Markus hadn't expected a simple compliment to make Connor this tame, and he noted for later that he'd have to find a way to get around that if he wanted Connor to take over. His thoughts went out the window when their tongues brushed up against each other and Connor softly moaned in his mouth. Connor wasn't so taken aback by his own sounds that he jerked away like before, but Markus did feel him stiffen in his arms, so he soothingly rubbed his flank to convey that it was okay for him to make noise. Connor relaxed as Markus continued running his hand down his side in slow, calm strokes. Markus ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to Connor's, who was quiet, his eyes cast downwards, his cheeks a deep blue.

"You okay?"

Connor nodded, looking a bit dazed. Markus kept a steadying hand on his waist while the other slowly reached for Connor's undercoat, and he cautiously pushed its beige flaps apart, watching Connor's face closely in case he changed his mind. Connor's eyes were intently following the movements of his hand but they became puzzled when Markus started undoing the dresshirt's buttons, so he stopped immediately and retrieved his hand to settle it on Connor's thigh instead.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Connor tilted his head confusedly. "What are you doing?"

Markus was perplexed as well. "... I was going to undress you."

"Why?"

Markus stared at Connor's inquisitive expression, the mood slowly evaporating around them."What do you mean, why?"

Connor looked disoriented now, like he didn't understand why Markus had replied to his question with another question. His gaze quickly flickered around the room as if to find the correct answer, and when Markus noticed that he was getting nervous, he applied light pressure to Connor's leg to call his attention back to him. "Hey. It's okay, look at me."

Connor looked at him.

Markus tried again, his voice gentle. "What were you expecting to happen next?" 

Connor glanced down at the hand on his thigh and then at his first undone button, his LED circled yellow as his eyes grew unfocused the way they did when he was researching, and when he looked back up at Markus he looked uncomfortable. "Oh."

"Oh?" echoed Markus.

Connor averted his gaze. "I thought... I didn't know. I thought it only served a purpose for humans."

The realization finally struck Markus that when Connor had asked to show his affection '_in a physical way_', he hadn't been talking about any sexual acts at all. Markus felt like he'd just been hit over the head. "Wait, so you thought we'd only be kissing?"

Connor had started fidgeting with his sleeves and he wouldn't look up. "I knew sex was prevalent in human society, but it didn't occur to me androids would want the same thing."

"So when you said you wanted to physically show your affection like humans did..."

Connor looked more and more uncomfortable. "I meant things like kissing and hugging. I've seen androids imitate humans in that way before so I thought that was the only thing what we'd do. I didn't realize we weren't just limited to that."

He sounded ashamed of himself, and Markus felt his pump throb upon realizing that. He quickly raised his hand to cup Connor's cheek and made him look up. "No, it's okay, don't feel bad about yourself. I'm just surprised, you know? I thought you knew."

"I'm sorry," said Connor in a quiet voice. "I made you stop."

"It's fine, it's fine," hastily said Markus. "It's good that you made me stop. I didn't scare you, did I?"

"No," answered Connor with a shake of his head. "I'm alright, I'm just- I'm sorry I ruined this."

"You didn't ruin anything!" exclaimed Markus, his hand sliding from Connor's face to his shoulder. "Connor, this is the first time you've tried anything of this caliber with anyone, of course it can't be perfect. You didn't know, that's fine. We can try again later now that you do."

Connor looked up sharply and shook his head again, vehemently this time. "No, I can do it, I looked it up just now."

"I don't think we should," Markus gently told him. "This isn't something you're supposed to jump in head first, Connor. You have to take the time to prepare yourself for it."

"But you wanted to," argued Connor. "That's what you meant when you said you wanted to get closer to me, wasn't it? That's why you warned me the physical aspect was very present for you."

"Yes, that was what I was talking about," conceded Markus, "but we both misinterpreted each other's words and I think we need to give this more thought before we go any further. I don't want to push you to do something you're not yet ready for. Does that make enough sense?"

Connor's shoulders slumped slightly. "...Then what do we do?"

"Don't worry about it for now, okay? We're just putting it aside for later when we're both ready."

Connor looked down, his voice uncharacteristically small. "No, but where does that leave us? The thing between us?" 

"Oh, Connor." Markus pulled him in for a hug and rubbed his back. "This doesn't change anything, sweetheart. Do you really think I'd suddenly stop liking you because of something like that?"

"... I don't know," admitted Connor next to his ear, his voice uncertain.

Markus grabbed him by the shoulders and faced him, his expression serious. "I've had a crush on you for who knows how long and I know you well, Connor. If I say that I like you, it's that I like you."

Connor slowly nodded. And then, blushing, he lifted a hand to settle it on Markus' and said: "I like you too."

Markus smiled and took Connor's hand in his. "It's official then."

Connor looked up at him and hesitantly asked: "Does that make us a couple?"

Markus leaned in to land a quick kiss on his lips, and then he pulled back with a grin and said: "Yep. So now I get to do this kind of thing whenever I feel like it."

Connor blinked in surprise, not displeased, and his lips quirked up into a timid smile. "Am I allowed to do the same?"

"That shouldn't even be a question, of course you are! Connor, I'd _love_ that." 

Connor looked happy to hear his answer, but then a thought seemed to strike him as apprehension suddenly clouded his face. "When you said you could do it whenever you felt like it... Even in public?"

"Not if you don't want it," assured Markus.

"So... You'd do it in public," said Connor. 

Markus nodded. "Yes."

"And you wouldn't mind everyone knowing we're together."

"No."

"Even if I was the dev-"

"Make no mistake, there isn't a single condition for which I _wouldn't_ want everyone to know about us," Markus fervently said, tightening his fingers around Connor's. "I've been dreaming of this for what feels like forever. I'm proud to be yours, Connor, and I'm proud that you're mine."

Connor nodded silently, looking reassured but also a bit overwhelmed by it all. Markus didn't say anything for a while so Connor could let his words fully sink in. Then Connor brought Markus' hands to his lips like they were the most precious thing he'd ever held, and gently kissed them.

"Me too," he murmured, his lips grazing against Markus' knuckles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- 09/12/2019 - 
> 
> Markus: Wait  
Markus: Wait  
Markus: Hold up  
Markus: So you _weren't_ just as horny as me?
> 
> Yep, Connor is clueless. Well, he was... Markus is a bad influence (which Nines is probably encouraging). Sexy times ahead!  
I should probably change the rating now that I think about it.


	5. Isn't that a problem?

Connor moodily picked up a stick horse lying around on the floor of the stage and walked to the center to join the small troop of actors. He was late to practice because the leaders had needed him in an important conversation, and was feeling pissed at himself the way he'd increasingly been over the last days. Nines was helping the children put on their costumes- or rather, he was being ordered to do it by the bossiest YK500s around- and he noticed straight away that Connor was in a sour mood, which was why he didn't come greet him straight away to give him some space and time to calm down. Nines had been very happy to learn that Connor had gone through with confessing his feelings to Markus and had been the epitome of the sentence _I told you so_ for the following week. He'd toned down the cockiness when he'd noticed that Connor was starting to stress over his relationship with Markus, but Connor hadn't exactly told him _why_ he was stressing.

"Hi, Connor!" the children cheerily greeted him.

"Hello everyone," he answered with a smile, forcing himself into a more amenable mindset. A few children ran up to him like usual to talk, but it didn't look like his smile had convinced Nines.

The problem was that even though Markus had said he was fine with showing everyone that they were together, Connor had yet to feel fully at ease with it. Whenever Markus tried to kiss him in public, Connor's first reflex was to avoid it somehow, and the same went with any other kind of touch. He's side-stepped, swerved, pushed away, pulled back, and redirected about every single one of Markus' attempts and he didn't feel proud of himself for it. Connor couldn't help it; it was like a flight reflex. He'd been so careful to hide his feelings for the deviant leader because of his position in the past, for so long and so consistently that to have them exposed like this went against all the unspoken rules he'd set for himself. Markus understood, and to Connor's utter dismay he'd stopped publically approaching him in that familiar way a few days later.

"I do want it," Connor had insisted when he'd confronted Markus about it.

"Connor, it's all right," Markus had gently told him. "Your mind may think it's ready, but your body clearly isn't. You're not used to this, it might take some time, and that's fine. We can wait. I'll wait however long you need me to, I promise."

So now Connor could neither receive nor initiate any kind of affectionate gestures when they were in front of others, and it frustrated him to no end. He _did_ want everyone to know that he and Markus were together, they'd even told the North, Josh and Simon; the three androids had all shown various degrees of surprise- Josh none at all which Connor hadn't really known how to feel about- but as time went on neither Markus nor Connor were acting any more intimate outside the privacy of their room aside from the occasional petname, and Connor was worried they'd think Markus and him weren't a genuine couple because of it. He was annoyed at himself for being such a bother, and his accumulating frustration was starting to seep through his exterior.

The rod he was holding splintered in his clenched hand with a snap and Connor let go in surprise, swearing. "Shit!"

Nines' head snapped up a few meters away, where he was helping a little girl tie up her dress. "What's wrong?"

"Oh no!" cried out one of the YK500s in horror, pointing at the remains of the stick horse lying on the ground. "Connor killed Starshine!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," hurriedly said Connor as he kneeled down to pick up the pieces. "I'll find a way to fix her, okay?"

"Starshine will be fine," Nines reassured the little boy as he drew closer. "We have some tape backstage, me and Connor will go find it. You guys play nice, okay?"

"Okay!" they shouted in a chorus, and the kids regrouped to the back of the stage to finish tidying up the backgrounds while Connor and Nines cleared the scene.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Nines as they entered backstage.

Connor glanced at him, then at the broken horse. "Sorry about that. I was lost in thought, I didn't realize what I was doing to it."

"No, I mean what's _wrong_ with you," insisted Nines. "As in, tell me why you look so grumpy all the time. And don't tell me you're stressed, because I already know that and it's not what I'm looking for."

Connor let his shoulders sag in defeat. "I don't know if I'm doing this right. With Markus, I mean."

"What? Why?"

"The whole... going public thing was supposed to be easy. I wanted it, I still want it," explained Connor as Nines held the door open for him to step into the props room. "But I keep avoiding him without actually meaning to. I react before I even realize that I'm pushing him away."

"Maybe you're just not actually ready to go public," suggested Nines as he started sifting through drawers. He was so quick to answer that it sounded like he'd already known what Connor was going to say all this time.

"Markus said the same thing," huffed Connor in frustration. He turned to the closets to see if the tape had somehow been forgotten at the bottom of one, beneath the heaps of costumes the children had been too lazy to put away correctly. "I don't understand myself sometimes."

"Maybe there's nothing to understand," said Nines with a shrug. "Maybe that's just the way some people are about public displays of affection, and you're one of those people. Have you thought about that?"

Connor stopped moving. "But it's unfair to Markus. I told him it would be alright, and I thought it would be, but instead I end up stopping him from going through with it even though I know it's something he _wants_."

"Have you considered that maybe you're not stopping him from doing anything, but setting boundaries which he's noticed and respects? Trust me, Connor, if he wanted to do what he wanted regardless, he'd find a way. You know just as well as me that boundaries are very easy to manipulate." Nines stopped searching as well and turned around. "He's being considerate of the way you feel because he cares for you and wants you to feel better, Connor, not because he thinks you're forcing him to do anything. Why do you think he's stopped establishing physical contact between you two, which you are clearly uncomfortable with in public, but keeps calling you petnames which you _are_ comfortable with _in public?_ That's right. Boundaries."

Connor decided to avoid making direct eye contact and resumed his search. "I still feel like I'm doing something wrong. I keep thinking that our relationship doesn't come off as real because I'm not letting him show everyone that we're together in the same way other couples do."

"I'd just like to point out that the degree at which affection is displayed in public isn't proportional to the quality of a romantic relationship. It's not the way the world sees your couple that makes your couple, it's how much you care for each other. Also, I found the tape."

Connor looked over his shoulder and saw Nines smugly waving the roll of packaging tape at him. Connor didn't give him the satisfaction of rolling his eyes and got to his feet to join the RK900 on the side of the room. Nines snapped a piece of tape clean off the roll with his teeth and started wrapping it around the two pieces of the stick horse while Connor held the head.

As Connor watched the repairs, he said: "Rationally, I know all that. It's just difficult to apply it to me and Markus."

"Yes, I can see that," stated Nines. "That's why I'm the one telling you this, because you're not going to do it for yourself."

Connor nodded. "Fair enough."

Nines tested how solid his work was, and once satisfied he stood back up. Connor let go of the head and Nines threw the roll of tape back in the drawer where he'd found it. "Anyway, stop doing your head in over this. Markus likes you, you like Markus, end of story. Who cares what everybody else thinks? You definitely shouldn't."

"... I know. You're right." Connor followed him back outside, already feeling a bit better about himself, and added: "Thanks for the help."

Nines smiled at him. "You're welcome. For both the horse and the relationship advice."

When Connor joined Markus in their room that evening, the RK200 was facing away from him and looking out the window. His focused expression told Connor that he was either going over files in his mind or communicating with someone else, but as soon as he stepped in through the door, Markus lifted his gaze to him and immediately brightened up. He held up one finger, so Connor understood it was the second option and nodded before sitting down on the bed. Markus went to stand in front of him and took him by the hand, and for a moment all he did was gently stroke the back of Connor's hand with his thumb. Connor let himself enjoy the physical contact as he patiently waited for Markus to be done with his current occupation. He liked focusing on the repeated lines of light pressure Markus drew across his hand: it made him feel wanted and liked. Markus never let him go when it was just the two of them in an empty room, even when they weren't talking. They were always close, revolving around each other, touching bodies and brushing hands like they couldn't live without it. Connor often wondered how he ever did, because once it was just the two of them, separation seemed impossible no matter how often they ended up having to part ways the following day.

Markus focused on him fully, finally done with the discussion he'd been having, and smiled. "Was practice fun? You look like you're in good spirits."

"It was," said Connor. He slipped his hand out of Markus to wrap his arms around the RK200's waist and pulled him closer, his head resting against the android's thick clothes. "I thought about you a lot."

Markus leaned down to kiss the top of his head. "I missed you too, sweetheart."

Connor hummed and closed his eyes as Markus ran his fingers through his hair. That was another thing he liked that Markus had quickly caught on. Connor didn't know why he enjoyed it so much, but it didn't matter as long as Markus kept doing it. Connor stayed silent for a little bit as he gathered the courage he'd been building up since his talk with Nines, and then tipped his head back to look into Markus' mismatched eyes. 

"I've decided. I want to try today."

Markus stared back, his expression growing serious. There was no concern or uncertainty, no doubt, not even that anxious little frown he sometimes did when he was afraid Connor was doing something stupid. His voice was calm and he simply said: "Okay."

"...I don't know exactly how to start," admitted Connor. He reached up to take Markus' arm in his hand and pulled him forward. "But I think you should come on the bed with me."

Markus went with the movement and sat down next to him. Connor went over the database he'd gathered on gay sex for about the millionth time and tried not to let his nervosity get the better of him. It was very tempting _not_ to look straight into Markus' intense eyes, but that would come off as an uncomfortable retreat and Connor knew Markus would try to stop everything if he looked too anxious about this.

So Connor faced him squarely and said: "I want you to continue what you were doing last time."

Markus' lips curled up in a fond smile. "I can do that."

Connor felt his pump flutter when Markus reached out to cup his face in his hand, his touch comforting yet delicate behind Connor's ear and all along his jaw, and he couldn't repress the little shiver that ran across his skin. This reaction was another one he couldn't control around Markus; Connor's body responded incredibly well to his touch. Markus leaned in close and kissed him as gently as he always did, like he wanted to make sure Connor was okay with it before going any further. Connor brought his hands up to Markus' face and kissed back, urging him to do more and unable to repress the embarrassingly obvious sound of pleasure that escaped him when Markus complied. He could feel it again, the dizzying rush of knowing Markus wanted this as much as him, that they were this close, that they were both so attracted to each other and willing to share something so intimate. It clouded his mind with a warm and excited thrumming every time. Markus pulled back and just like last time, pressed his forehead against Connor's before asking: "You okay?"

Markus was always careful to check on him like this, even though Connor had quickly grown used to the steps they could take and was able to go faster. It was nice, in a way, that Markus was so attentive to him; but it could also get a bit frustrating when all Connor wanted was _more_.

"Yes," he answered, already feeling like he was starting to drift away from the day's events. It wasn't difficult to stay focused on his objective, however, and he took Markus' hand to press it to his chest. "Do it."

Markus hesitated. "I thought about this after last time, would you feel more at ease if I got undressed first?"

Connor looked at him, his emotions stuck in the middle of trepidation, frustration, and fondness. "Markus, I'll be honest with you, I don't really care. I just want us to get naked."

Markus' eyes widened in surprise, and then he laughed. "Wow, that's romantic."

Connor smiled. "We both know that's more your thing."

"You're not wrong, but I didn't think you'd be coming in here so determined. You sure know what you want today," Markus said amusedly.

"Yes, and right now your hands are very much still," Connor pointed out.

"All right, all right, I'm moving them, I'm moving them." 

Markus' long fingers started undoing the buttons of Connor's dress shirt, and the comfortable silence that followed turned into a heavy atmosphere of anticipation as they became slower and more measured the lower they went. Connor didn't realize he'd gotten tense until Markus' fingernails grazed his skin when he pulled the shirt away and Connor jolted in response. Markus' head snapped up to see if anything was wrong, but Connor smiled at him reassuringly.

"That felt good," he told him.

Markus smiled back and he proceeded to trail his hands up along Connor's flanks, who resisted the urge to squirm, then pulled the shirt back over his shoulders to remove it entirely. Connor helped him with that and discarded it on the floor next to the bed. Markus leaned back and Connor felt himself blush when he realized that he was appraising him, as if trying to etch every detail of his bare chest in his memory.

"Your turn," he quickly said before Markus chose to say anything embarrassing.

Markus grinned as if he knew exactly what Connor was trying to avoid, and Connor knew from that grin that he wouldn't escape from it forever even if Markus was complying right now. Compliments would throw him off balance and Connor didn't want that, not right now. He watched on as Markus shrugged off his coat and was a bit disappointed when he took his shirt off almost in the same movement, because he'd wanted to do the same Markus had done for him.

Markus caught the expression on Connor's face and immediately said: "I'm sorry, I didn't think-"

"It's alright, I'll do it next time," Connor said, amused by how apologetic he looked. His gaze dropped down to Markus' chest and he tilted his head to the side. "We're built differently. Different body mass, obviously. Your muscles were made to be more defined than mine."

"Yes," said Markus, his voice a tad confused.

Connor glanced up at him and smirked. "Too analytical for you? Maybe you'd prefer I tell you that your body is _very_ nice to look at."

"Um," answered Markus, the color of his skin slowly darkening.

Connor leaned in closer. "Can I touch you?"

Markus nodded. Connor reached out and settled his hand on his bicep, then trailed it down Markus' chest to his flat stomach. Markus didn't make a sound and Connor watched with fascination the way the synthetic skin rippled beneath his fingers like circles in the water. It wasn't retreating, but it was reacting to his touch. Connor looked up at him.

"Does this make you feel good?"

Markus nodded, and then said in a low voice: "I didn't know." 

"What didn't you know?" asked Connor, confused.

"I didn't know it could feel this good," clarified Markus. He hesitated, and then asked: "Can I try it with you? You like it so much when I touch you, I want to try to do it like this."

Connor felt a shiver of anticipation when he realized that Markus was right. If touching Markus' chest made him feel like this, then what would it do to Connor, who was so much more sensitive?

Markus chuckled at whatever was showing on Connor's face and said: "Okay, that's a yes. Maybe we should lie down for this." He shifted on the bed to lay his body down next to Connor's and encouraged him to do the same with a pat on the covers, so Connor complied.

Markus raised a hand to Connor's head and started combing through his hair, and then trailed down to his waist in one long stroke that nearly made Connor arch his back into it. He managed to hold back the movement, but not the yelp that escaped him when Markus' large hands wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer. They were hugging bare-chested for the first time and Connor felt warmth flood him when the vibrations of Markus' pump travelled straight through him to beat next to his own. It was discordant, not at all in sync, but they were both going faster than usual and Connor realized he was having just as much of an effect on Markus as Markus was having on him. Connor was about to reach around Markus' back to hug him when he felt long fingers stroke his flank in the same spot as earlier and his arm faltered. When they dipped below the waistline of his pants to trace circles on his hips, he let out a short breath he hadn't realized he was holding and brought his arm back to him. 

"You like that?" murmured Markus in his ear, his voice deep and comforting.

Connor gave a curt nod.

Markus hummed approvingly. "Maybe I should go further. Would you like me to?"

"...Yes."

Markus's hands moved away and Connor almost protested until he felt his pants being opened, and he hastily helped Markus pull them down, but Markus insisted to remove them all the way where Connor had wanted to stop so the caressing could resume faster. Connor kicked his clothes away in frustration, but his agitated movements died down when he saw Markus was doing the same for himself. It was incredibly enticing to watch the RK200 undo his own pants and tug them down, and as Markus turned around to throw them to the side, showing his broad and smooth back to Connor, the latter had the sudden urge to make Markus his. Markus jerked in surprise when he felt Connor's hands snake across his abdomen and let out a completely undignified squawk as he was thrown back down on the mattress. Connor trapped him beneath him just like he had last time, and the way Markus' eyes flickered away before coming back up to his face, the way he stopped moving immediately, the way his expression transformed from surprise to expectation only strengthened the suspicion Connor had experienced the last time.

"Say, Markus," he slowly said. "Do you like it when I do this?"

Markus looked embarrassed and he hesitated before answering: "I think I do."

"I think so too."

"But I also like making you react like you were reacting earlier," continued Markus, and he reached up to grab Connor's hips. "Do you want to continue?"

It was Connor's turn to hesitate. He wanted to explore this side of Markus, the side that liked being pinned down, but Connor also really wanted Markus to keep doing what he'd been doing and the hands stroking his thighs weren't helping him keep a clear head.

"I... I don't know," he ended up saying. "Yes, but..."

The hands stilled and Markus inquired: "But?"

"I want to make you feel good too."

Markus smiled and his fingers started trailing up his thighs again. "Trust me, Connor, this makes me feel good."

Connor nodded and gave in to the delicious sensation of skin brushing against skin. Markus palmed the back of his thighs and Connor's whole attention focused on the surface of his skin that was covered with the RK200's big hands, as if his entire self was wrapped in them. The hands lifted and only fingertips remained as they stroked up to his hips and around the front until they reached his pelvis. He felt the signals in his wires bundle up at the precise spot above Markus' fingers and reminded himself not to tighten his grip on the sheets too much or he'd rip them, but then his thoughts vanished when the long fingers dipped down between his legs. Connor let out a long, drawn-out moan at the incredible sensation that rippled across his skin, his face pulsing with the flow of thirium rushing through his body. He'd never felt like this before, he didn't know what was happening, he only knew it felt amazing. 

"You really like that," observed Markus.

"And here I thought I was the investigative model," Connor sarcastically answered, as sarcastically as he could beyond the pleasure that was lapping at the edges of his mind and a bit embarrassed that he'd moaned so loudly.

Markus hummed approvingly and continued stroking him, and the pleasure started building. Connor didn't know if it was normal for this simple physical contact to have so much of an effect on him, but in that moment he didn't care. He liked that Markus was touching him there and he wanted him to do it more. Connor's whole world was focused on this new, overwhelming feeling and when Markus started applying more pressure at a faster rythm, it became stronger and his arms started to tremble. One of Markus' hands came up to his shoulder to steady him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yes, yes," quickly said Connor. "I'm okay, I'm okay, just-"

"I've got you," said Markus in a reassuring voice, but his fingers moved away to graze along the inside of Connor's thighs and although it made his wires tingle with the same thrill as earlier, it wasn't what he wanted. 

Connor let out a frustrated growl. "No, not there-"

"I know," calmly said Markus. "I'm doing it on purpose."

Connor's head snapped up. "Why?"

"Because I like seeing you all heated up like this," teased Markus. Connor opened his mouth to retaliate, but then Markus' fingers were drifting back up and his words died in a strangled snarl at the back of his throat because he knew he had to be good if he was to obtain what he wanted from those fingers.

"Good," murmured Markus, and they fondled him again. The wave of pleasure elicited by the touch rocked through Connor so strongly that one of his arms buckled and he had to hold himself up against Markus' chest.

"You can lean onto me," Markus told him softly. "You don't have to keep yourself up."

"No, I-"

A burst of colors and lights flashed behind Connor's eyes when Markus gave him a long, leisurely stroke that was delicious in its slowness and he let out another moan, his eyes closing despite him. They snapped open when Markus resumed rubbing him at the same pace as before and the pleasure grew by leaps and bounds, muddling his thoughts, fading his surroundings. Next thing he knew Connor was pressing his clenched fists against Markus' chest, barely holding himself up on his elbows, his chest rising and falling rapidly against Markus' much calmer breathing. Connor briefly wondered if Markus could be reduced to the same state as him if their roles were reserved, but then that thought burst up in sparks when his hips canted into Markus' hand out of his own volition and caused more delightful friction. Markus' other hand was stroking Connor's hair in calming motions.

"That's it," crooned Markus. "You're so beautiful, Connor."

The compliment broke down his last defenses and Connor allowed his body to relax completely against Markus before he even realized what he was doing, and only his knees were holding his hips up in the air where Markus could easily access them from below. The hand between his legs felt so good that he almost wanted to shy away from it, the sensations too strong, his wires overtaxed, but all he wanted was to feel _more_. The part of him that was fearful of these overwhelming sensations was soothed by the knowledge that if this all turned out to be too much, Markus would be there to look after him. The hand covering him disappeared and Connor made a needy sound, his hips undulating in the air, but then Markus shifted and Connor felt his legs be pushed slightly more apart by Markus'. Steady fingers wrapped around his jaw and coaxed his head to the side.

"Look at me, Connor."

Connor obediently pushed himself up on all fours again so that his eyes met Markus' mismatched ones, so brilliant yet so appeasing. Calm blue, deep green, lit up by the warm flame of arousal.

"I want you to listen closely," Markus said as he tenderly brushed Connor's stray lock of hair away from his forehead. "We're going to have sex, and this is the first time for both of us, so we need to both be attentive to each other. If at any point you feel like I might hurt you in _any_ way, you have to tell me, okay? Do you think you're ready to take it further?"

Something distant yet cold encroached on the edge of Connor's dazed, pleasure-addled mind and he took a moment to consider Markus' words. As they slowly formed into sentences that made sense, Connor became a bit confused and he looked down to think. In the videos he'd seen, he'd noticed that the 'submissive' person was usually the one on the bottom. Connor himself didn't particularly like getting pinned down, but Markus did, which meant Markus was the more likely to enjoy having the bottom position out of the two of them. That was what Connor had thought since the first time Markus had wanted to have sex, but it looked like Markus wanted to be the one on the top and Connor hadn't really considered being on the bottom. The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to. Connor didn't know what it was about being penetrated, but he felt no arousal at the thought.

A hand lifted up his chin so he was facing Markus again whose eyes were now concerned. "What's wrong?"

Connor realized he'd stopped moving entirely, distracted from his pleasure by the troubling prospect of ending up in that position, and he also realized that Markus had stopped touching him anywhere else than his chin as a result. Connor immediately berated himself for stopping Markus in his tracks once again. If Markus wanted to be on top, then Connor would let him be on top. It was as simple as that.

"Nothing," he quickly said, and he put Markus' hand back on his hip so that they could continue, but it only settled there and didn't move.

"No, not nothing," Markus said. "You have to tell me if you don't like something, or we can't do this Do you understand? I need to be able to trust that you'll say it when you're uncomfortable."

Connor shook his head but he didn't say anything, and the blissful space he'd been in was suddenly gone. He couldn't lie to Markus by saying everything was fine, but he hated that he kept messing things up. Markus shifted again so that his legs weren't blocking Connor's in the same vulnerable position and a hand settled at the small of Connor's back to pull him forward.

"Come, lie down. We can talk about it," Markus said in a gentle voice.

Connor went with the movement and ended up lying against Markus' solid frame, and the steady rise and fall of his chest was a bit comforting. "I'm sorry I keep doing this," he apologized, resentful towards himself and guilty that Markus couldn't get what he wanted.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Markus kissed him and Connor could feel his smile against his temple. "First times, remember? They can never be perfect."

"I know, but..." Connor trailed off, and then he pushed himself up again to face Markus. "Isn't that a problem?"

Markus looked at him confusedly. "What is?"

"Both of us wanting to be on top."

"Oh, no. I can try being on the bottom," Markus reassured him.

"But you've always wanted to be on top, haven't you?" insisted Connor. "That first time we kissed and you thought I was asking to have sex, you were the one who took control. I didn't think much about it because you seemed to like when I trapped you on the bed, but you were the one who tried to pin me down in the first place. You didn't think I'd flip it around. You wanted to be on top."

"That's true," conceded Markus. "But as we can both tell by now, I might actually enjoy the opposite. You don't want to be on the bottom and I'd like to try it, so this is our best option, right?" 

Connor studied him intently. "I don't want you to do it because that's the only way. I don't want to force you into it."

"That's not the case," Markus told him earnestly. "I promise."

Connor stared at him for a bit longer, and then he gently grabbed Markus' chin and leaned forward to kiss him. He immediately felt a hand come up to his nape and Markus kissed him back tenderly. They broke apart after a while and Markus' gaze flickered down to Connor's legs where they were set on each side of his body, and when he raised it back to his face there was trepidation in his eyes. He didn't look anything like Connor had felt at the prospect of being the bottom; in fact, Markus even looked expectant. He wasn't lying about wanting to be in this position.

Connor smiled at him and said: "All right. Your turn."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind the little bumps on the road, the boys are figuring it out. As Markus said, first times aren't perfect.  
You go, Connor, show'em what happens when a twunk tops a hunk!
> 
> (I have _no_ idea how I'm going to describe sex in the next chapter because I'm _so_ bad at smut but hey, gonna try my best)


	6. It's embarrassing

Connor shifted on the bed and gently brought his fingers to Markus' collarbone, marvelling at the way the skin immediately started rippling at the point of contact. Markus didn't say anything but his eyes were intently following every one of his movements. Connor trailed his fingers down the firm surface of Markus' chest and slowed down to press the palm of his hand flat against its steady rise and fall. It was strange how much more stable he felt every time he felt the way Markus' lungs worked beneath that surface, and it didn't matter whether or not it could be considered artificial, or that it was human choice that made them function this way; it was as real as the soft whirring of his pump, proof that he was alive and _there_ for Connor. It sometimes hurt for Connor to think that he'd never really realized how lonely he'd been until Markus had showed him that this love wasn't one-sided. It hurt because he didn't know what he'd do if one day this all disappeared, if one day he wasn't able to feel that breathing beneath his fingers anymore.

"Hey," softly said Markus. His eyes were searching and gentle, and he clearly wanted to know why Connor was spending so long gazing at his chest.

Connor didn't answer. He didn't know why he was thinking about this when they were supposed to be having a good time, so he quickly pushed the thoughts out of his head and resumed moving his hand across Markus' body. He watched as rings of fluctuating synthetic skin trailed behind the tips of his fingers and widened when he stilled his hand, and then out of curiosity he gave Markus' flank a long caress just like it had been done to him earlier. He noticed the way the RK200's eyes fluttered shut for an instant and was taken aback when Markus grabbed his hand and then trailed his own fingers along the inside of Connor's arm. 

Connor jerked his hand back, the touch leaving a pleasant tingling sensation behind, and reproachfully said: "Let _me_ do that for now."

"Sorry," sheepishly said Markus, though he harboured a teasing grin. "I couldn't resist, you were just so focused."

Connor annoyedly grabbed his wrist and pinned it to the sheets, leaning in closer. "Do you _want_ me to force you to lie still?"

Markus stared at him, his grin faltering.

It was Connor's turn to smile. "That would be an idea, wouldn't it? You seem like you'd like that."

"You could always try if you think I'm getting in your way," eventually said Markus. He'd made it sound like a challenge, but there was a new light of interest at the back of his eyes, a sort of hunger which Connor was unable to name yet one that echoed deep inside of him.

"Duly noted, but don't tempt me or you might regret it." Connor let go of his hand. "Now don't do that again and let me focus."

Markus silently nodded and Connor went back to studying the hard planes of his body. As he let his hand drift across the gentle grooves that delimited artificial muscle, he noticed that the longer he kept physical contact between his hand and Markus' midsection, the faster Markus' skin drew back. Connor's own fingertips were exposed up to their first knuckle. When he looked back up at his partner, Markus was staring at him intensely with half-parted lips and a face of darker hues than it had been only seconds ago; but what really shook Connor to his core was the desire he could see in his expression. Markus was definitely into this.

Connor smiled at him and said: "I think I know exactly what you meant earlier. I'm very much enjoying your reactions."

"I like what you're doing to me," earnestly said Markus. His voice sounded somehow different, deeper, richer, as if his skin wasn't the only thing reacting to Connor's touch.

"Good," said Connor.

He let his fingers go lower and felt the way Markus tensed beneath him when Connor let them rest at the top of his pelvis, expectant and eager yet lying in wait. Markus was quiet but his eyes were burning bright with arousal. Connor brought his other hand up to Markus' chin and tilted it back, and Markus went with it, docile in a way that made something heavy and predatory stir within Connor. 

"Yes," Connor mused. "I really do like seeing you this way. Only for me."

"Connor," Markus murmured in that tantalizing voice, and he didn't say anything else. It didn't seem like he'd even known what he wanted to say aside from Connor's name and his mismatched eyes were searching, even demanding for an unspoken thing that only Connor could give him.

Connor kept a tight hold on his chin and kissed him deeply. He felt the vibrations of the low, content hum in Markus' throat and a hand cradled his nape like it did almost every time they kissed. Connor didn't let go and he let his other hand slide back down Markus' chest and belly, all the way down to his pelvis, and he smiled against Markus' lips when he felt him jerk in surprise at the touch between his legs. Markus didn't make another sound but Connor felt the strong thighs clamp around him and he quickly noticed the way Markus' free hand was clenching the sheets.

Connor softened the kiss until their lips parted, and then he leaned down to whisper in Markus' ear: "Does it feel good?"

Markus turned his head away and didn't say anything, but the blue tinge had spread all the way down to his chest and the sharp inhale Connor heard when he started rubbing him was enough of an answer.

Connor's lips grazed against Markus' ear. "You know what it means for you to be on the bottom."

"Yes," shortly said Markus. It sounded like he was trying to hold back his voice.

Connor relented and simply let his hand rest on top of Markus. "How do you want to do it? I brought lubricant with me, but I've seen that some people prefer preparing themselves."

Markus let out a little laugh and finally looked Connor in the eye, looking a little embarrassed but overall rather relaxed. "You've done your research."

"I have."

Markus reached up and ran his hand through Connor's hair, who didn't try to avoid it. Even if it felt a little like Markus was taking back some control, Connor liked when he did that and it felt too good to deny himself that pleasure. Besides, Markus looked like he was just thinking. He probably hadn't meant to do anything else but show his affection through the gesture.

"I don't think I'd really know how to do that to myself," eventually admitted Markus. "Maybe you should do it."

Connor didn't want to ask him if he was sure because that would sound like he was doubting himself and wouldn't be reassuring to Markus at all, but he still found himself wondering if it was reasonable for Markus to put so much trust in him.

"I haven't done it before either, Markus."

Markus shrugged lightly against the pillows. "So what? There's a first time for everything, and you'll have an easier time seeing what you're doing down there than me."

"Right. That makes sense." Connor looked away and got off the bed to go fetch the lubricant he'd put in one of the drawers, and he heard Markus chuckle again. He turned around holding the tube in one hand and asked: "What?"

Markus just shook his head, smiling. "I don't know, I just find it funny that we brought a tube of lubricant each. Mine's in the other drawer right next to the one you put yours in."

Connor looked back at the chest and then opened the drawer Markus had gestured towards out of simple curiosity. He was surprised to see more than lubricant in there and quickly shut it before raising his eyebrows at Markus, who was now laughing outright.

"Really?" Connor asked.

Markus shrugged innocently. "I was feeling adventurous. You might want to try it out one day."

"I sincerely doubt it," declared Connor as he climbed back onto the bed.

"Come on, it could be fun."

"I don't think I want anything in me."

Markus lied back down as Connor settled between his legs. "You'd never want to try it? At all? You're not curious, not even a little bit?"

Connor paused to consider it and lifted his gaze to Markus, who was smiling at him encouragingly. He shifted uneasily and looked away.

"Maybe... If you _really_ wanted it, I could try. For you."

He felt a hand rest on his arm and when he looked back at his lover, his pump wavered at the proud expression on his face.

"You really would do anything for me, wouldn't you?" Markus softly said.

Connor couldn't hold his gaze and muttered to the sheets: "Yes... I would. If you wanted it."

Markus didn't say anything for a long time, his hand tenderly squeezing Connor's arm. Then he finally said: "I really like you, Connor, and I really like how far you're willing to go for me, but I'll never force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. We'll only try it when you're ready."

Connor nodded in relief. "Yes, okay."

"All right, come on." Markus sat up and grabbed his face to land a kiss on his forehead, then rested his own against it and offered Connor a warm smile. "I believe you went to get that lubricant for a reason."

Connor smiled back and stole a kiss before pushing him back on the mattress. He was careful not to be too forceful about it and Markus' larger frame went down slowly. "You know, the more we do this kind of thing, the more I realize that you're _very_ curious about all of this."

"Of course I am. Aren't you?" asked Markus, genuine interest in his voice. 

"Definitely not as much as you," asserted Connor, and he hoisted Markus' legs on his shoulders to have better control over what he was about to do. The position had the immediate beneficial effect of shutting Markus up before he started any kind of philosophical discussion about various sexual topics- now was really not the time.

"Um," said Markus.

Connor looked up at him as he took off the cap of the tube. "Having second thoughts?"

"...I don't know," admitted Markus. "This is... It's just that it's the first time."

Connor stopped what he was doing and settled a comforting hand on Markus' leg. "Are you scared? We don't have to do this right now, you didn't know you were going to bottom a few minutes ago."

"I'm not _scared_," argued Markus. "I just don't know what it's going to feel like."

"Apprehensive, then?"

"...Maybe a little," he conceded.

Connor turned his head to the side to kiss Markus' calf and then let his cheek rest against it. "We have all night, we're taking it slow."

"I know, I know," said Markus, and he sounded annoyed with himself. "Obviously you're not going to hurt me, you don't have to reassure me."

"I think I should." Connor kissed his calf again, and then leaned down to kiss the inside of his thigh as he let his hands slide down Markus' legs. "I can see that you're nervous, Markus. Stress levels, remember?"

"Ah, damn," grumbled Markus as he let his head hit the pillow. "How do I keep forgetting?"

Connor smiled against his smooth skin. "You can fool everyone else, great leader, but you can't fool me."

"Yes, Connor, I get it."

"You're allowed to be a little bit unsure about yourself, especially when it's for something like this," continued Connor, and he splayed his hand on Markus' midsection right beneath his sternum.

"Ah- Yeah, okay." The last word was muffled as Markus hid his face behind his arm when Connor's hand slowly slid down towards his pelvis as Connor picked the lubricant back up. Markus didn't jolt this time, but he still tensed when Connor took him in hand.

"I think you're being very courageous right now," added Connor.

"For doing this?" asked Markus in a puzzled tone, albeit a bit strained.

"Yes." Connor paid close attention to pleasuring Markus the same way Markus had pleasured him earlier, in the same movements and in the same rythm. He knew it was working when Markus turned his head away like earlier and stopped talking altogether. Connor felt a faint, constant tingling sensation grow stronger under his skin as Markus started relaxing in front of him, tense muscles yielding beneath Connor's bared hand as he rubbed a soothing back-and-forth across Markus' belly. His body was more pliant than before when Connor adjusted their position after dribbling lubricant on his hand and fingers, and Connor felt a pleasant throbbing sensation suffuse in his lower body upon realizing all over again how much trust Markus had in him. He was vulnerable in this position and yet he was letting Connor take charge of everything, and Connor knew to recognize it for the gift it was, coming from the person who generally could least allow himself to give up control.

Connor felt a small tremor ripple through Markus' body when he started applying the lubricant, but he stayed quiet and Connor was careful to go very slowly. It wasn't out of fear of causing pain the way humans sometimes did to each other, but rather out of the wish to avoid causing any discomfort for Markus. The latter made a very faint sound when Connor's fingers breached him.

"Are you okay?" immediately inquired Connor.

Markus quickly nodded and covered his face with both arms now, squirming a bit but otherwise not demonstrating any other signs of whether this was unpleasant or not. His stress levels weren't climbing at an abnormal pace, but... Connor hesitated, and quickly decided he couldn't just continue like this when he saw that Markus' skin wasn't rippling in circles as wide as before. He stilled his hand and leaned forward to take Markus by the forearm.

"Markus, can you look at me? I need to see you to know what's going on."

"I'm okay," Markus said behind the cover of his arms.

"Markus..." Connor could have forced his arms away, but it didn't feel right to do. "What's wrong? Why are you hiding?"

"It's embarrassing," mumbled Markus.

"It's-" Connor stopped himself. He was going to say it wasn't, and for him it was true; but he could easily imagine why Markus felt this way in his position. "Why do you feel embarrassed?"

"I don't know."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"...I don't know." Markus rolled a bit to the side. "But it's even more embarrassing when you're not doing anything."

"Oh, sorry. Okay. Tell me if you want me to stop." Connor resumed moving his fingers and spread the lubricant deeper as his other hand trailed back down along Markus' side and back to his lower region. It was supposed to make him feel good like earlier, but as Connor continued to stroke him he was alarmed to see that not only was Markus growing tenser, but the RK200's skin had stopped fluctuating in that natural pattern and was now retreating in the manner it did when an android voluntarily extended the exposed surface of their chassis. Now Markus _was_ getting stressed, but he'd gone completely silent and hadn't told Connor that he was going to do that with his skin. Connor was clueless as to what it could possibly mean.

Connor looked up again and asked: "Markus, can you please tell me what's wrong? What am I doing wrong?" 

Markus' answer was quieter. "I don't know why... It feels less good."

Connor looked down at what he was doing and it suddenly hit him what had changed: he'd been so careful about what he'd been doing, so focused on his task that he hadn't realized that he wasn't getting any pleasure from it and that his skin had consequently stopped ebbing away wherever he touched Markus. Markus would've felt the lack of feedback from Connor's bare chassis and maybe that had contributed to his discomfort, and Connor realized that this was what Markus had been seeking when he'd forced his own skin to withdraw. It was obviously an unconscious decision judging from what he'd just said, one he'd absent-mindedly made in hopes of reaching a part of Connor that was uncovered.

"Shit," whispered Connor, and he pulled his skin back. Markus' skin immediately reverted to its peaceful rippling and Connor felt the way the RK200's strong frame was gently rocked by a sigh of relief. He quickly leaned forward to kiss Markus' arms where they were covering his face and apologized. "I'm sorry Markus, I didn't realize."

Markus brought them down a fraction to look at Connor. "Did you do it on purpose?"

"No!" exclaimed Connor as he gathered him in his arms so they could both sit up on the bed. "No, I knew contact between our chassis was important, I just didn't realize that I'd stopped touching you. I'll be more careful, I promise."

"I... I thought- This is going to sound stupid, but I thought it was because you didn't like touching me during this," admitted Markus. "That it wasn't comfortable for you either."

"No, Markus, I was just worried I was doing it wrong and I didn't realize what was happening. I'm very sorry I made you think that, are you okay?" 

Markus let out a shaky laugh. "I'm okay now, I just... jumped to conclusions."

"I'm almost done with this part," Connor assured him. "I think maybe in the future, you should be the one to do this if it causes you so much discomfort having it done to you."

"I didn't think it would be embarrassing if you did it, it's only some sort of maintenance..." Markus told him uncertainly. "I thought it was just a human thing to react this way."

"Well, now we know it's not," simply said Connor. "It's okay if you don't like it, Markus."

Markus' eyes snapped into something more pointed. "I don't _know_ if I don't like it. It's only the first time, and you weren't touching me correctly, and I'm kind of sc- apprehensive about what's going to happen so it's not like I'm in the best conditions to let myself enjoy it."

"Sorry," guiltily said Connor.

"I'm not saying it was your fault," hastily amended Markus. "Just that... Maybe, if I'm more relaxed, I'll be able to. Right now we're testing a lot of things. I'm not going to be as relaxed as I'd like to be."

"Right," said Connor. "Still, I should've been more careful. Are you feeling better?"

Markus looked down at the spot where Connor's white hand rested against his bare chassis and then smiled at him. "Much better." He hesitated, and added: "Just please don't forget again."

"I won't," instantly replied Connor, and he reached out to entwine his fingers with Markus'. "I won't, I promise."

"Okay," said Markus softly. "Okay. Okay, I think I'm ready to continue."

"You're sure?"

Markus nodded and moved to lie back down. "Yes, I'm sure." He paused for a second and then added: "You said you were almost done, but I actually think you don't need to do more."

Connor cautiously asked: "Is that because you don't want me to or because you think it's safe to continue without doing more?" 

Markus smirked. "Would it hurt your feelings if I said both?"

Connor felt his own lips quirk up. "No. That's totally understandable."

Markus pulled him forward and Connor settled between his thighs, slipping his hands under Markus to lift him over his own. Then he tenderly ran his hands across Markus' chest before settling them on his rippling waist and asked: "Are you ready?"

Markus' gaze nervously flitted down to their legs, and his hand slid up to tighten around Connor's. Connor gave his partner's fingers a reassuring squeeze. Markus nodded and answered: "I think I am."

Connor lifted Markus' hand to his lips and kissed the smooth knuckles, and then lowered it back to the bed before grasping Markus' hips. He felt Markus tense up immediately and murmured: "Relax, Markus. It's okay."

Markus slowly complied and looked away, and when Connor positioned himself Markus jolted at the new contact between them and covered his face with his arm again. Connor let him.

"You're okay, Markus," he said softly.

Markus didn't answer, but Connor saw the way his lips tightened together as he slid further inside him. The friction felt good, but Connor didn't lose himself in it. He let go of Markus' hips and leaned forward on his elbows to encase Markus head between his forearms, and Connor's skin withdrew where it was touching Markus' shoulders.

"You're okay," repeated Connor, and he initiated a prompt for a proper interface.

Markus accepted it straight away and they both took in a sharp breath as they felt what the other was feeling. Connor felt Markus' unease and doubt first, the way Connor felt like a foreign object rather than anything pleasant at all, but determination to see everything through followed close behind and his trust in Connor overshadowed everything. Connor felt touched to perceive it; even if he'd known Markus liked him, even if Markus made it clear in every way and every day, it was different to have the proof in his hands like this. Then all of Markus' emotions mellowed out with the pleasure he received from Connor's interface and Markus' breathing changed, squirming beneath Connor as his skin darkened.

"Connor," he said in a low voice, face still hidden, hand drifting lower.

Connor caught it before Markus could touch himself and he put his mouth next to his lover's ear. "Let me."

He reached down and stroked Markus at the same time he pushed his hips forward, and Markus' back arched soundlessly. His lips parted in a silent gasp and his arm shifted so that he was now hiding his face with both hands.

"I'd like to see you," Connor murmured, kissing Markus' fingers as his hand and hips moved in unison. "There's no need to hide."

Markus just shook his head.

Connor smiled affectionately. "Who knew you'd be so quiet."

"You're... You're the one talking too much," Markus retaliated in a voice that halted with each rocking movement. Connor's free hand brushed against the skin he could reach, along the tense jaw and down the strong neck. Despite his reproachful words, Connor could tell Markus was starting to feel more pleasure as it started building on both sides of their interface.

"Markus." Connor's hips rolled again and Markus' fingers tightened against his face. "I want to see your face."

Markus shook his head again. Connor realized that beyond the pleasure, stress and doubt were slowly mottling the landscape of Markus' feelings.

"What's wrong?" he quickly inquired.

"...It's embarrassing," Markus finally said.

"What is?" asked Connor, fingers stroking the side of Markus' face once more. "You don't have to be scared of anything, it's just us."

The space between Markus' fingers widened and mismatched eyes peeked through, lost and hazy. "I don't know, it's embarrassing. Why do I like being in this kind of position? I must look ridiculous. What would the others say if they knew their leader likes being pinned down in bed?"

Connor frowned slightly, troubled that Markus wasn't enjoying himself because he was thinking so much. He leaned in even closer and kissed the spot on Markus' brow that had been left exposed by the gap between his fingers. "The others don't matter, you're like this for me and only for me. No one else will know but us."

"But why do I like it?" insisted Markus, even as he let Connor pull his hand down. Markus looked a bit out of it and Connor suspected that he never would've allowed himself to show such a vulnerable side of himself if he wasn't so overwhelmed by the sensations they were causing in each other. Connor's thoughts were muddled too, his skin overstimulated where it rubbed against Markus', and the only reason he wasn't completely losing himself like earlier was because Markus needed him to stay in control.

"You have to stop thinking," Connor told him, and he slipped his hand under Markus' nape to grip it in a secure hold. "We'll figure everything out later, focus on what I'm doing to you for now."

Markus' discomfort faded and he began to nod, and Connor kissed him on the lips before he could complete the movement of his head. As they kissed, Connor could feel the way Markus started to buck against his hand in aborted movements like he was barely holding himself back from showing how much he was liking it. The pleasure was growing and growing between them, delicious and colourful and intense and unfurling in waves as Markus allowed himself to fully revel in it. The rythm Connor had set for himself felt more natural now that Markus had stopped fighting it entirely and it was easier to push into him, Markus' larger frame rocking beneath him quietly and yet so much more pliantly than seconds ago. Connor drew back and gazed at his lover, warm pride invading him as he took in the deep blue tinge of Markus' face, the soft light in the rich colors of his half-lidded eyes, the alluring way in which his features had slackened with pleasure. 

"You have no idea how much I enjoy seeing you in this state," Connor told him, his hand moving faster now. He could tell Markus was close. Markus' lips pressed together and his back curved when he threw his head back, hands clutching the sheets, skin undulating wildly and leaving nearly the entire lower half of his body exposed.

"Mine," Connor murmured. 

Markus' eyes fluttered shut, the pleasure started peaking, and Connor let himself be swept up into the rising wave that was threatening to engulf them both. His body moved faster, he felt Markus trembling beneath him and had to steady himself with his free hand. Connor didn't try to bite down the moans that escaped his throat, especially when Markus reached out to graze the side of his head and then pulled him down for a final kiss. Markus himself let out a gasp when he came and Connor closely followed, stifling the sound he made by biting down at the junction between Markus' neck and shoulder. He could feel the tremors of Markus' body beneath his lips and absent-mindedly licked the thirium that welled up in the small punctures his teeth had left behind.

"Connor," whispered Markus, and he felt the RK200's arms wrap around his chest and pull him down. Connor withdrew from Markus before he went with the movement. For a moment they only breathed together, Connor's cheek resting against Markus' collarbone, his waist comfortably cinched between the RK200's thighs.

"That felt so good," Markus eventually said in a voice so low it was all sultry vibrations, and then a languid smile appeared on his lips when Connor looked up at him. "You're _really_ hot, you know that?"

Connor smiled back, amused. "It's amazing how much of a romantic you remain after the act."

"I don't feel like thinking too much," admitted Markus.

Connor rolled to the side and gathered Markus close, tenderly pressing his forehead against his. "You're really hot too, Markus."

His lover gazed at him silently, his mismatched eyes slowly becoming more alert.

"What is it?" inquired Connor.

"I have feelings for you," Markus suddenly said. "And I think it goes further than liking you, Connor."

Connor felt thirium rush to his face and he ducked his head in the crook of Markus' neck, words momentarily escaping him. Markus hadn't said things like that before. Connor didn't know how he was supposed to react to what was coming. He heard Markus fall silent, and then hum quietly.

"It's okay, I won't say it now. We have time."

"...Okay," mumbled Connor.

It was quiet for a bit, and then he felt Markus' arms tighten around him until they were lying chest to chest and he could feel his lover's pump whirring away like it was his own.

"I think I'm going to sleep now," declared Markus. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course," Connor said, but it was obvious from the warm way Markus hummed again that he'd already known what his answer would be.

They just laid in bed like that for a while, unmoving and silent, and Connor risked looking up at Markus again. His eyes were closed and his features were relaxed, and his chest rose and fell steadily against Connor's. It was all very peaceful in a way Connor didn't think he'd ever had the chance to feel before. He was unsure what to do because Markus obviously hadn't gone into standby yet: his LED was still pulsing at the same rythm a conscious android's did. They were still interfacing- maybe they weren't supposed to still be interfacing. Markus must've felt his uncertainty right then because his eyes cracked open and he murmured: "Just relax, Connor."

"Right," awkwardly said Connor, even if he had no idea what this was exactly. What were they supposed to _do?_ Connor didn't want to sleep, he felt like there was something else he was supposed to be doing, like he was missing the purpose of this moment that followed sex. The videos had never shown what happened after sex.

"Here, I'll help," suddenly said Markus

Connor wondered what Markus meant by that when he felt something on Markus' side of the interface stir, and then a part of Markus' tranquillity pushed out into Connor's side and slowly wrapped around his agitation. It helped, but what really made a smile stretch across Connor's lips despite him was the feeling of Markus' fingers carding through his hair. It sent small tingles across his head and down his neck and it soothed him.

"Better?" asked Markus.

Connor closed his eyes, finally feeling settled. "Better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey pumpkin!  
Ahhhh they're so soft! I really enjoyed writing their awkward first time in bed, they're both very happy that it worked out so well in the end. They're gonna get even softer in the next chapters can you even believe
> 
> By the way don't worry if I don't answer your comments these days, my finals are soon and I'm very busy. I'm reading all of them and they make me smile! I'll get around to replying when I have more time ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you feel like it!


	7. Bravo

Markus and Connor gradually became more used to this kind of physical proximity and although Markus often wanted to experiment, Connor was more comfortable doing what they'd done the first time. He didn't feel ready to switch positions and definitely wasn't comfortable with the thought of the toy in Markus' drawer, though Connor would've accepted in a second if Markus insisted to use it. Connor could see how aroused his partner got whenever they did talk about that scenario, he knew it would please Markus if it became reality; but Markus could also see how uneasy it made Connor and they'd eventually decided they'd test other things before that. One interesting development in bed had happened on a day Markus had been less inclined to leave all the control up to Connor and had mercilessly plied him with compliments despite Connor already being inside of him, and Connor had ended up completely yielding to his instructions, with no other objective in sight but to obey and please Markus. Markus later told him he'd seen the concept of service tops while doing research of his own. Connor wasn't sure how he felt about it but the idea definitely felt more right than wrong to him ; he liked pleasing Markus in whichever way he could. As much as Connor enjoyed seeing Markus blushing and lax while trapped underneath him, he also liked when Markus was the one guiding him through sex. It seemed they were gradually heading towards a realm where he could have both at the same time. Connor may have been a bit intimidated by that prospect, but he was thrilled most of all.

Public displays of affection were still a problem for Connor, and Markus was bothered by the fact that he liked when Connor pinned him to the bed. It was obvious Markus had never expected to enjoy acting submissive in any domain at all, and he often brought discussions about this topic back around to his role of leader and how both aspects of himself had to be incompatible. Connor didn't agree but he knew it was up to Markus to figure himself out. However troubled Markus was in these moments, Connor would always reassure him that it was all right to have doubts about this kind of thing. Sexuality and physical intimacy was new to the both of them. It was just like how Connor needed Markus to reassure him that it was all right to maintain a distance in public. In the end they both knew that whatever was happening between them only concerned the two of them, and that it didn't matter what others thought about it since they would never need to know. It was an appeasing thought. Despite it, Connor fought with himself to accept more of Markus' touches in front of Josh, Simon and North. It was never anything overly intimate and Markus was careful not to make it obvious; little things like hands brushing close, a friendly pat on the shoulder lasting one second too long, fingers lightly resting at his back in a comforting reminder that Markus was close, and all of those things were always done out of sight when the others were in the same room. Connor had gotten used to it in these last three weeks; now his body didn't instantly avoid Markus out of reflex like before when they were in public. Connor still hesitated to initiate anything above those gestures but he could feel that if he tried hard enough, it would come easier to him. Connor sometimes felt the urge to kiss Markus even when another leader was in the room; it was exciting and frightening to think that all he needed to do to act out the scenario was to move closer. The line between imagination and reality was often thin, and it kept getting thinner.

Currently Connor was in the amphitheater and trying to stop constantly thinking of his lover when he was in the middle of preparations for the official theater play. The children were all in a frenzy. Nines and Connor did their best to help everyone get dressed and stay calm, and they were all fortunate for Nines' self-confidence because Connor was just as nervous as the children were. As much as he knew Markus enjoyed the sight of him in a corset vest, it didn't stop him from feeling a bit ridiculous that this was supposed to make him look like a prince. Connor didn't feel like such a role suited him and he would've much preferred to be the talking tree. North had told him that she, Simon, Josh and Markus had made sure to take front row seats; Connor had grimly accepted the fact that he was going to be riding a stick horse and waving around a fake sword in front of them all, but it was still guaranteed to be a mortifying ordeal. Connor was still a terribly bad actor despite all the YK500s' best efforts to help him practice and he was painfully aware of it. When he'd asked them if he could be the tree, the kids had said his looks would be wasted on that character; and when he'd suggested maybe only one prince would suffice in the story, they'd all been appalled that he would even dare suggest anything less than two. Connor was consequently doomed to attempt to act more naturally than a plank of wood in front of an adult audience for the next hour. Nines for his part was a zealous overactor. Both were definitely the worst of the bunch and sometimes Connor wondered whether the children ever regretted recruiting them for the play.

"Is everyone ready?" Connor called out backstage, and various little voices screamed back an approximately equal amount of affirmative and negative answers. 

"Five minutes before we start," Nines shouted, and the frenzy intensified. One of the little girls pulled harder at her hair to dislodge a clip she'd misplaced, another ran by Connor which he had to catch when she tripped and nearly toppled over.

"Thank you," she shouted, and without even looking at him she wriggled out of his grip like an eel and disappeared in the props room. Connor's head was spinning so fast trying to keep track of any more potential accidents that he felt it might do a full 360° at one point.

"Come on, come on." Nines clapped his hands together three times. "It's almost time!"

They started gathering behind the curtain and Connor walked around in the rooms to make sure nobody needed help, and eventually he and Nines were ushering the last stragglers away from the prop closets and up with the others. There were excited whispers and hushed giggles all around him and Connor noticed a few children nervously wringing their hands. As tense as Connor was himself, he decided to distract them a bit by doing his usual coin tricks. It had never failed to catch their attention before, and he caught Nines' little smile from where he was watching the children form a circle around Connor. The two YK500s 'in charge of the production' went out to introduce their play to their audience while Connor made the coin smoothly fly from one hand to the other. And then all too soon, it was time to step on the stage for the first act.

The lights weren't so bright that Connor couldn't see the audience, but he wished they were. A wave of quiet had swept over the room as soon as they'd come out from behind the curtain, the loud hubbub of voices dying down to respectful low tones. He hadn't expected for their spectators to be so many despite the amphitheater being so big; he'd convinced himself there'd essentially be the children's caretakers, not the whole of New Jericho, and instead he was standing in front of a full room feeling like all eyes were trained on him. He didn't want to remember Hart Plaza, but he did. He distantly heard Nines' boisterous voice say his lines as Connor stared at the rows and rows of individuals, LEDs shining in the dimmed room like they had during that night he'd almost killed Markus. It didn't even matter anymore that he felt ridiculous holding a horse stick playing the role of a prince. He didn't want to be here at all.

<_RK900: Connor, your line._>

Connor's awareness jolted back to the present and he shot Nines a glance. The android's blue gaze was questioning. Connor realized that the weight of the audience's gazes on him wasn't _just_ a feeling: they were all staring. Connor tried to shake his uneasiness off. He was standing on the stage in the amphitheater, not on the crate in the middle of Hart Plaza, where he was doing a play with the YK500s and messing it up quite a bit. The girl who was in front of him and Nines playing the role of the witch waved a little hand to catch his attention and loudly whispered: "Mister Connor! It's 'how will you punish us for stepping on your land, witch?'" 

Dread still clung to Connor's insides. He knew the line, his memory was intact as always, he just needed to say the words and in that moment he felt like he couldn't move. Connor had to force himself to remember that he didn't have a gun on him this time, that Markus was fine, that he was supposed to be watching from the front row with North and Josh and Simon. Connor's eyes rapidly flickered across the seats and sure enough, the leaders were all sitting a little bit off to the left. Connor felt his pump jolt a bit when his gaze crossed Markus', and his partner smiled at him warmly with an encouraging little nod. 

Connor snapped his attention back to the play and finally opened his mouth to speak, his voice rigid despite all the training he'd done. "How will you punish us for stepping on your land, witch? We are princes, and the kingdom needs us. You can't turn us into frogs."

The little girl gave a delighted smile when Connor finally said his line and she exclaimed: "Ah! That's okay, I have other curses! Lots of curses!"

Nines drew out his fake sword and pointed it at her with a flourish from several feet away. The tip of it wasn't anywhere close the 'witch' as he proclaimed loudly: "You shall feel the kiss of my blade in a heartbeat if you dare speak a single one, you _foul woman!_"

That wasn't how the kids had written his dialogue at all. Connor resisted the urge to cover his face at the second-hand embarrassement he got from Nines' excessive dedication to his role.

The little girl hunched over and screeched a high-pitched, maniacal cackle. "Ahahaha!" She pointed a finger up at the RK900 who was towering over her even from where he stood. "Who said I needed to speak to curse you, stupid!"

The YK500s backstage played out the sound of thunder and smoke started pouring in. The fog machines had been Nines' idea, of course, and for days they'd spent their practice sessions in a gray haze because the children would not stop playing with it. The 'witch' raised both arms and started wiggling them around, still laughing madly as both Nines and Connor feigned unconsciousness. Connor winced when he heard the loud smack Nines made upon hitting the ground like a sack of bricks. The RK900 definitely wasn't one to do things halfway. The stage lights dimmed and they both hurriedly got back to their feet to start setting up the next scene as the spectators applauded the end of the first act. The prince-turned-children actors took their place on stage as Connor and Nines went back behind the curtain. There, the 'witch' immediately came up to Connor and tugged on the hem of his corset vest.

"Hey, Mister Connor? Are you okay?"

He looked down at her and saw curiosity in her eyes. He crouched so they could be at the same level and said: "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for messing up my lines."

She patted his shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay. Were you scared?"

"A little bit," eventually admitted Connor, because it was the truth.

She nodded wisely. "Yep, it happens sometimes. It's no biggie though, you beat that stage fright fast! Good job! I'm sure you'll be fine now."

Connor returned her radiant smile. "Thank you."

"No problem," she cheerily said, and then she turned away to go talk to her friends.

"She was made for pep talks," said Nines' amused voice in his back.

Connor straightened and faced him, unsurprised by his approach. The RK900 wasn't as light on his feet as Connor was. 

"She's very nice," agreed Connor.

Nines was more serious when he asked: "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes, don't worry. It was only momentary."

"All right." And that was that. 

They both watched the play unfold from the side of the stage and applauded with the crowd every time, and Connor felt undeniably proud that the YK500s were managing so well. One clumsily dropped his stick horse at one point, but other than that the play went on without a hitch. The two prince brothers desperately tried to find a magician that could reverse the curse, in vain. They were sent out to go apologize to the witch by the king and queen, but the witch was impossible to find. They went to ask for a fairy's advice who gave them a list of trials to complete before the witch of the forest accepted to see them again. On the way they encountered many challenges, notably a talking fish they had to trick into carrying them across the river because they were too small to safely swim across, and then a talking tree they had to convince to step away from the entrance of a cave, and _then_ a talking bat they managed to bribe into guiding them to the exit, _and then_ a talking sword that was there for some reason and wouldn't leave them alone unless they took it with them. 

At the end of it all, it turned out that the witch was too petty to reverse the curse so the princes just ended up killing her with the magic sword. The witch keeled over with a dramatic "blegh!" and the two princes stood over her body victoriously holding hands with the talking sword. It would've ended there if Connor hadn't interjected during the writing of the play that it was a bit of a dark ending, so they'd collectively agreed to make it so that the magic sword actually didn't kill the witch but made her nice instead. It was a magic sword. Magic didn't _have_ to make sense.

So the witch only stayed on the ground for about three seconds before she jumped back on her feet and shouted: "Wow, I feel nicer!"

The talking sword jumped a bit and said: "It's because I'm magic! I made you nice!"

"Okay," said the witch without questioning this turn of events, "I'll turn you both back now!"

The fog returned, the thunder played (it was supposed to be the other way around), the lights dimmed just enough that it wouldn't be too obvious Connor and Nines were taking the two children's place and then they went back to normal when the swap was completed. It was still fairly smoky on the stage but a few YK500s on each side of it were flapping their clothes to make it go away.

Nines made a show of rediscovering his body and then turned to Connor and exclaimed: "We're back to normal!"

"Hurray," answered Connor.

"Now that I'm nice and I turned you guys back, I'm not really a witch anymore," said the not-really-a-witch. "But don't come back here because you're annoying and I can still make curses even if I'm nice."

There were a few laughs in the audience and Connor recognized Markus' chuckle in their midst.

"We've learned our lesson, haven't we brother?" asked Nines, and Connor nodded. "We shan't come back here to bother you ever again."

"Good," said the not-really-a-witch with a satisfied nod. "You can leave now, bye."

"Farewell," said Connor, and he turned around to exit the stage with the ridiculous stick horse between his legs.

"Adieu, my fair lady, and may the winds of fortune blow kindly upon you," Nines said with a bow before leaving as well. The not-really-a-witch giggled and Connor very nearly rolled his eyes in front of everyone. That was _definitely_ not part of the script. The lights dimmed on the scene of the not-really-a-witch and the princes parting ways, and another wave of applause rolled over the rows of spectators. The applause got louder when the lights came back on over the heads of the entire cast and Connor felt pleasantly touched by the smiles in their audience. He looked over at the leaders and saw Markus stand up, happily clapping and shouting: "Bravo!". The others did the same and North hollered enthusiastic expletives like "whoo!" and "all right!". 

Markus' appraising and undoubtedly pleased gaze was completely focused on Connor, who suddenly remembered with jarring clarity that he was wearing the corset vest which pleased the man so much. Connor smiled at him complicitly and his lover's mismatched eyes became even warmer, a deeper, darker promise growing inside of them; and then Markus grinned at him in a way that made Connor's whole body tingle. He felt his own smile turn shy and quickly initiated the cast's bowing so that he could duck his head before anyone saw his blushing face. They all bowed once, twice, while more of the audience stood up and continued clapping. Their troup started trailing out of the stage on both sides and the stage lights dimmed and turned off for good as those of the amphitheater came back on. 

The troops regrouped backstage and Nines happily declared: "The play was officially a success! You all did very well."

"Congratulations everyone," Connor said, smiling at the children. "It was a lot of fun to do this with you, thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in the play."

"It was super fun!" exclaimed one of the YK500s, and her cry set off an avalanche of enthusiastic agreements. 

Nines let it go on for a while, and then he teasingly said: "You know what's going to be even more fun? Cleaning up!"

At that, the group let out a collective groan and Connor couldn't help but feel amused. Still, he tried to make the prospect of tidying up the place a little less tedious by saying: "We're a lot of people, it'll be over fast."

"I'll help," said a familiar voice behind Connor. He turned around and Markus shot him a winning smile from where he'd appeared next to the curtain. "The others will be here in a bit to help too."

"Cool!" said the children, and sure enough North showed up seconds later. Josh and Simon arrived at the same time a few minutes after the clean-up had started. 

Connor couldn't help sneaking glances in Markus' direction as he gathered the various costume pieces scattered about on the ground, and Markus kept catching him in the act and grinning. It wasn't a regular grin, either, it didn't look like he was _just_ happy to be there. Something was up. Connor was annoyed that he didn't know _why_ Markus was acting like this and he hoped it wasn't because he was making fun of how ridiculous Connor had looked riding the horse stick. It was definitely the reason why North kept snickering every time she saw one. Josh smiled an awful lot too, and Simon kept throwing sympathetic glances in Connor's direction when he noticed how the others were reacting to that particular prop. Connor did his best to hide his face behind the things he was picking off the floor.

Connor was alone in the prop room when he heard Markus' purposeful gait come close. His partner walked in and Connor tried not to drop the box he was placing on top of one of the closets when he felt a hand drift across his waist and grab firmly at his hip, Markus' strong, steadfast frame standing right behind him.

"Hello there, beautiful," Markus murmured in his ear. "Need some help with that?"

"I'm doing fine by-" Connor's voice faltered when Markus shifted behind him, and he felt every inch of his lover's body pressed up against his back as Markus placed his hand on top of his and slid the box in place. Connor didn't say anything at all when they stayed in that position and Markus' arm came down to wrap around his chest while his other hand started trailing up the clasps of his corset vest. Anticipation started building in him, warm and fizzy, and Connor couldn't help but want more of this despite knowing they were in the middle of a very public place.

"It suits you even better than I remembered," Markus said in a low voice. 

Connor wondered if Markus knew exactly how much their position was affecting him. It was very likely. Connor wanted Markus to touch him, wanted it badly, but this was neither the right place nor the right time.

"The others are right outside."

"You're right, and that's very regretful," Markus answered, even if he didn't sound very regretful at all. "What a shame, I guess I'll have to stop then."

Connor _wanted_ Markus to touch him, and he regretfully said: "Yes."

Markus took a gentle hold of Connor's chin and turned his head to the side so he could land a soft kiss on his cheek, then let go of him and stepped away to leave. He stopped at the door, turned around, and with an undefinable glint in his eyes he told him: "You should stay here with me once we're done cleaning up."

Connor stared at him. "Okay."

Markus smiled, and then he was gone. Three YK500s came inside and Connor absent-mindedly watched them put away their costumes and accessories as he lightly touched the side of his jaw. He could still feel the tingling sensation Markus' fingers had left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- 25/02/2020 - 
> 
> Nines: Broadway here I come  
Connor, supportive yet thoroughly unconvinced: Yeah... They won't know what hit them
> 
> Hey pumpkin!  
Wasn't that play marvelous? This is the starting point of both Nines' and Connor's acting careers for sure.  
Anyway, yeah the boys are horny but I won't be writing more sex scenes, they're just gonna be cute and fluffy next chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you feel like it!


	8. Right out of a fairytale

Markus was nervously checking under his seat for the tenth time when he heard Connor stepping back onto the stage. He immediately straightened and saw that Connor had an interrogative look on his face, so he shot him a sheepish smile and said: "I'm not doing anything."

Connor stopped where he was and tilted his head thoughtfully. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing." Markus looked around and then back at his lover. "Is everyone gone?"

He held back a smile when he noticed how Connor's demeanor immediately became more shy. He'd been cute earlier, when he'd gone silent beneath Markus' touch, and he was obviously in a pliant mindset today. Connor nodded quickly and his gaze flickered off to the side, avoiding direct eye contact. "I checked. We're the last ones."

"Good." Markus' gaze roamed over Connor's body, and he marvelled at how handsome he was. Of course, CyberLife had made most of their models good-looking which meant beauty wasn't the first thing most androids focused on; but Markus had aesthetic sensibilities because of his upbringing and every time he looked at Connor, he saw only perfection. Especially when he was wearing that elegant corset vest.

Connor shifted on stage, clearly embarrassed by the scrutiny, and started walking off to the side.

"Wait," Markus said. 

Connor faltered in his steps and he looked at Markus inquiringly. "Yes?"

"I want you to stay up there," Markus told him.

Connor lifted confused eyebrows. "Why?"

"You'll see." Markus went to sit back down in his seat and continued gazing at Connor. "I liked seeing you acting, you looked like you were having fun. It was very enjoyable."

"I forgot my cue and I _know_ I looked awkward," deadpanned Connor. 

Markus shrugged lightly and smiled. "My point still stands."

Connor leaned back and dubiously crossed his arms over his chest. "You enjoyed watching my terrible acting?"

"Yes. I think you had amazing chemistry with the rest of the cast, especially Nines," Markus teased with what he knew was shit-eating grin. It had been hilarious watching Connor awkwardly stand there straight as a broom while Nines had been making wide gestures and declaring his lines like they were universal truths. Markus had had to muffle his laughter a few times so he wouldn't disturb the other spectators.

Connor frowned at him reprovingly. "Oh, I see. You enjoyed making fun of me."

"Maybe just a little," Markus said unashamedly.

"That's not very supportive of you."

"So North and Josh get to make fun of you, but I can't?"

Connor's lips pressed together for a second, but the smile broke out anyway. "Seems that way. I wonder why?"

"Okay, okay," Markus said, and he half-bowed. "I humbly apologize for wounding your honor, my prince."

Connor looked amused. "Spare me, I've suffered through enough overacting on Nines' part for the next decade at least."

Markus laughed and got up from his seat. "Well at any rate, you may think your acting was subpar and I might have, eventually, _perhaps_ made fun of you for it, but I think you were very courageous up there and that you did a good job of it all things considered."

"It was just standing on a stage and making a fool of myself," said Connor dismissively.

Markus shot him a look. "Come on, Connor. I noticed."

Connor's arms tightened around him and he looked down. "...I know you did."

"I'm not saying that to make you feel bad," quickly said Markus. "I just want you to understand that I _know_ this wasn't all easy for you, even if you saw it through the end. You made the children happy, the witch especially seemed the enjoy being your co-star. Could you turn around?"

Connor raised surprised eyes. "What?"

Markus gestured for him to spin. "Just turn around for a second, there's something I want to do and it's better if it's a surprise."

Connor stared at him apprehensively. "You're not going to do anything weird, are you?"

Markus chuckled. "No, and if I did you'd hear me coming anyway. You're way up there and I'm way down here, right?"

Connor nodded and did as he'd been told, but Markus could see he was a bit tense. Was he simply cautious because it was in his nature to be alert? Because he didn't like not seeing his surroundings the way he wanted to? Or did he expect something bad to happen?

"Connor, relax. I promise it's not a trick."

"Okay," said Connor, but he didn't relax.

Markus didn't insist. He crouched and reached for the space beneath his seat, then got back to his feet and walked up to the stage, stopping a few feet away from it so that Connor could still see him entirely. There Markus kneeled down and said: "You can look now. And I promise I'm not going to jump at you or anything."

Connor spun around in on fluid movement and his eyes widened when he saw what Markus was holding.

"Roses for my lovely prince," Markus said theatrically as held out the bouquet. He'd been careful to pick those that looked the most different from Amanda's because Connor had seemed so distant when he'd shared those memories with him. The flowers in his hands were red but much darker, like dark velvet, and there were no thorns or leaves on the long and straight stems; their scent was sweet and discreet, opposite to the rich and heady one Connor had described. It was still a risk and Markus was held in suspense, hoping that he'd made the right move, hoping this action was so different that it wouldn't trigger issues with Connor's past keeper.

Connor didn't say anything for a good while, and then let out a little laugh. "You look like you walked right out of a fairytale."

Markus smiled and got back up, approaching the edge of the stage to give him the flowers. "I hope you like them."

Connor kneeled down and took the bouquet from his hands like it might break, and the reflection of the velvet petals looked incredibly soft in his brown irises. Markus watched as his lover trailed gentle fingers along the red blossoms with a mesmerized expression, mouth so tender that Markus wanted nothing more than to kiss him in that moment. But Connor was way up there, and Markus was way down here, and he didn't want to break this delicate moment anyway. Markus had rarely seen Connor look this vulnerable for anything good and he promised himself that he'd never forget it. 

Connor finally looked down at him, a fragile smile on his lips. "I love them. Thank you, Markus."

Markus reached up a beckoning hand, and he didn't need to say anything for Connor to understand what he wanted. His lover leaned closer to him and Markus let his fingers curl around the perfect angle of Connor's jaw, and for a moment they just stayed like this in the tranquil atmosphere of the amphitheater. Then Markus tenderly swiped his thumb across Connor's cheekbone and said: "Won't you come down here and kiss me?"

Connor nodded and Markus retrieved his hand to let him move. Connor carefully set down the roses next to him, so gently that Markus was certain none of the petals had folded, and then he smoothly jumped off the podium. His landing was nearly imperceptible and he stood there before Markus, visibly unsure how to go about this and _very_ flustered. Markus reached up to caress the spot behind Connor's ear and felt a tremor there, saw the way blue immediately rose to his cheeks. Markus decided to check something and wrapped his other hand around his waist, and Connor's breath hitched. He was definitely more sensitive now than he'd been in the props room. Markus hadn't even done anything since except give him the flowers, but maybe the considerate gesture had made Connor feel closer to him. Markus decided he'd have to give Connor gifts more often if it made him this happy. Markus felt a rush of fondness for the android in front of him and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. Connor made a sound of surprise, and almost immediately after melted against Markus. The latter hummed approvingly as one of his hands held Connor's firm hip, the other sifting through his soft hair, and he said: "I really like you, you know. Everything about you."

"I feel the same way for you," said Connor.

Markus fell silent and continued petting him, enjoying the sensation of Connor's flat chest against his own, the peaceful way they both breathed, the soothing whirring of their pumps. Connor was adorably responsive to the touches Markus started trailing down his back, gently curving into his hands, his breathing growing slow and languid like he was finally unwinding. No doubt the play had been more stressful for him than he'd been willing to let on.

"Good," Markus whispered in his ear. "That's it, relax. I'm right here."

"Mh." Connor's grip tightened around him.

For a moment they did nothing else but hold each other. It felt good.

Then Connor started moving again and his hands came back around to rest against Markus' chest, and he leaned back a bit, his brown eyes content and overflowing with another emotion that made Markus feel like he'd been punched in the regulator when he saw it. He didn't dare hope, but a small uncertain smile quirked up the corner of Connor's mouth and he said: "Is it okay if I tell you something important?"

"Of course," answered Markus, suddenly feeling like he was walking on a tightrope with no land in sight.

Connor hesitated, his fingers curled up against Markus' clothes. The smile wavered and his eyes flickered this way and that like they did every time he felt put on the spot, but he finally faced him again and murmured: "You know, that thing you wanted to say the first time we did it? At the end?"

Markus nodded. His voice had deserted him.

Connor looked down again, then back up. "Do you still think that?"

Markus nodded again, a short, vigorous movement.

"Okay," said Connor softly, "okay." He took a moment to stare at his hands like they could speak in his place, and then braced himself, looked at Markus, and whispered: "Well, I... I love you."

"rA9 help me, Connor, how is it possible that every time you speak you only make me love you more?" Markus said in one breath, and he lifted Connor in his arms and twirled him around with a happy laugh. Connor was surprised at first but his clearer, softer laughter that rang like bells soon joined his, and when they slowed to a stop, time seemed to stop with them. Their breathing was that of the frail moments that followed a revelation as they gazed into each other's eyes, communicating something of souls and sentiments that went beyond words.

The spell was only broken by the swiping of timid footsteps on the stage. Connor immediately pushed Markus and stumbled away from him, and when they looked up they saw a little girl standing there looking very sheepish.

"Sorry, Misters... I was playing hide-and-seek and no one found me in the closet. I didn't mean to hear."

Markus looked at Connor and teased: "So you looked everywhere, did you?"

Connor turned a conflicted gaze to him. "I thought I did."

"It's the best hiding spot," the girl said apologetically. "I'm sorry for spying on you."

Connor quickly recovered from his surprise. "It's okay, it's my fault. I should've been more thorough. You're not in trouble."

She quickly nodded, visibly relieved. "Can I leave?"

"Of course," Connor told her, and he gestured towards the door. "Go ahead."

She skittered off and the main entrance slammed shut, and then Connor and Markus looked at each other. Markus was helpless to stop the grin that spread across his face, and Connor smiled back, and they started laughing softly, then louder and louder. It felt nice, their bond stronger now than it had ever been before. When they stopped laughing, they'd come close again like magnets unable to resist each other's pull. Connor's hands were slender in Markus' yet their hold was stronger.

"Are you okay?" asked Markus.

Connor tilted his head in confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"We were seen."

"Oh. In all fairness, I should be the one asking that question," said Connor. "Sorry for pushing you away, it was-"

"A reflex, don't worry, I know. I don't take it personally," Markus completed with a smile.

"Okay," Connor said in relief. Then he looked over at the roses and started moving away. "I have to put them in water, I don't want them to wilt."

Markus pulled him back to him and leaned close to his ear, his voice sultry. "Why not stay a bit? You know I can always offer you more, later."

Connor pushed his face back with no ill intent, his own tone amused. "I'm flattered, but these are my first and I intend to make them last. Besides, I'm sure you have other important things to do besides flirting with me."

"Okay, okay," surrendered Markus, and he let go of him. "But make no mistake, flirting with you is my top priority."

Connor laughed shortly as he walked over to the roses. "I'm sure."

"I'll see you later then."

"Mh-hm."

Markus gazed fondly at the back of Connor's head and said: "I love you."

Connor's hand stilled and hovered above the bouquet, and then he whispered: "I love you too."

Markus smiled, something warm and soft shining at the center of him, and he turned around to leave through the main path that made a straight line across the rows of seats. He pushed the handle of the wide doors which opened with a click and sunlight flooded the ground around his feet. He saw North, Josh and Simon waiting for him a few feet away. Simon saw him first and waved.

And then just as Markus stepped outside, he heard Connor mutter: "Fuck it."

Markus barely had the time to register the words when footsteps ran up behind him and he felt a hand grab him by the collar with incredible strength. Markus let out a squawk- _why_ did he always make that noise whenever Connor pulled him back, and _why_ did he keep forgetting Connor was this strong- and found himself pushed up against the wall. Next thing he knew his hands were grasping at the familiar hard fabric that Connor's corset vest was made up of and he was being kissed passionately, both helpless and unwilling to resist. He saw North's eyes widen in glee, Simon's in shock, Josh's expression shift in mild surprise, and every other android around them stop whatever they were doing to stare slack-jawed at the scene. Markus closed his eyes and cupped the back of Connor's head, and if he'd been sitting and alone with him he probably would've wrapped his legs around him because this was _hot_.

When they finally broke apart, there was a roughness to Connor's silky voice that went straight to Markus' core when he said: "You wanted me to kiss you. We forgot."

"Wow," said Simon.

"Finally!" crowed North.

Josh just smiled like he'd known this would happen. He'd been the one to help Markus choose the roses after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey pumpkin!  
Yayyyy! Connor managed to get out of his comfort zone (or maybe he managed to widen it?) and Markus is a very happy gay. Romantic gestures seem to do the trick, so good on him. Josh and Markus were _so_ careful when choosing the roses, they went through about ten different kinds that looked more similar than the last just in case any trait resembled Amanda's.  
It was very nice writing this story, I didn't think it would go up to eight chapters when Lokiitama first showed me the corset vests. I'm glad I got so inspired.
> 
> Thanks for reading, leave a comment if you feel like it!

**Author's Note:**

> Beautiful fanart of The Corset Vest by [Null](https://twitter.com/anomalousignal/status/1205473720061562885) (it's our boys in their prince outfits!)
> 
> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/lost-tanuki) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/losttanuki)!
> 
> I now have a Discord server called the Pumpkin Patch server, you can pm me on Tumblr/Twitter to join. I'm looking forward to seeing you there!


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